Ben 10: Cold Winter's Night
by WebofSpideyguy7245698
Summary: Christmas Eve. Ben tricks Gwen into walking underneath mistletoe and kisses her. They're cousins and shouldn't have feelings for each other. What comes after? Teenage hormones? Lust? Or could it be the start of love? Read to find out! Rated M for language, adult themes and romance/hurt and discomfort.
1. Chapter 1: Mid-Summer Night's Dream

Ben 10: Cold Winter's Night

 _ **Disclaimer: I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

A/N: Hello and welcome to my new Bwen one shot! This isn't going to just be one chapter. It'll be seven or eight chapters, maybe more. I really don't know yet. This is an idea I came up with about a month ago and I wanted to release the story now, as the winter holidays are pretty much here. This is an AU version of Ben 10, where Ben never got the Omnitrix. He and Gwen are just normal human beings, for the most part. I will say that even though one of the genres of this one shot is romance, but until the end, it's mostly hurt and discomfort.

Towards the end, it will get better for both Ben and Gwen, I'll say that. This one shot is rated M for a reason, but it won't be a mature story until after a few chapters. Anyways, if you enjoy the first chapter of the story, please don't forget to favorite and follow the story if you like the first chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Ben 10: Cold Winter's Night!

Chapter 1: Mid-Summer Night's Dream

 _Gwen_

I was reading my book at the table inside of the Rustbucket, as my annoying cousin, Ben Tennyson, sat up front with our grandfather, Max Tennyson, who was sitting in the driver's seat, listening to the radio.

I heard Ben giggling, but I didn't even bother to look up to see what he was laughing about.

"Ben-" our Grandpa Max began to speak, but Ben interrupted him.

"Oh, stop it Grandpa. I know what I'm doing." he said.

"If you do this, I cannot help you talk your way out of this one." Grandpa Max said.

"Please. It'll be fine." Ben replied.

I still didn't bother looking up, but a few seconds later, I wished that I would have. Seconds later, something exploded against my book, soaking me in ice cold water. The cold of the water shocked me at first, but I quickly became angry.

"Ben, you brat! That was my favorite book!" I exclaimed in anger.

"Oh, come on! You have more books at home, don't you?" Ben asked, as he laughed.

It didn't matter. Ben was just such a brat. He had no respect for anyone in the family, especially me.

"You are such a brat, Ben Tennyson!" I exclaimed. "I wish that you had never been born!"

Ben looked back at me from the front of the RV and it actually looked like he was hurt by what I said. He quickly got up from his seat and ran to the door of the RV, opening it and running outside.

"Gwen, that was harsh." Grandpa Max scolded me. "You should go apologize to him!"

"I don't care, Grandpa!" I spat with anger. "The little brat deserved it!"

"He was just joking around. I admit that it was a little too much, but you shouldn't have said that." he said.

"I'm not going to apologize Grandpa. He deserved it. He probably ruined my book!" I exclaimed.

"I really think you should apologize. You may think you shouldn't now, but later on in your life, you may find that you should have apologized and then, you can't." he said.

I don't know why, but what he said sounded very eerie. It was just then that it dawned on me that the water had completely soaked me.

"I'm going to go chance into different clothes, Grandpa." I said, as I got up from the table.

"You do that, honey." Grandpa Max said from the front of the RV.

 _Minutes Later_

While I had been changing, I began to feel some guilt for what I had said to Ben. I blocked out the guilt and went back to the table, back to where my book was sitting. I got a towel and did my best to dry off the book, and eventually left it there to dry out on it's own.

I decided to get onto my laptop to do some research for a while. I began to google the desired topic, when the feeling of guilt became overwhelming. I closed the laptop and quickly got up, much to Grandpa Max's surprise.

"Grandpa, I'm going to go look for Ben!" I said, as I moved towards the front door of the RV.

I looked at Grandpa Max, before I opened the door, to see him smiling warmly at me.

"I think that's a great idea, Gwen." he said.

I tried to frown at him, since he had kind of gotten the last laugh, but I ended up smiling back at him. I opened the door to the RV and stepped outside, Ben being nowhere in sight.

"Ben!" I called with concern.

I didn't get an answer. I walked around the campsite, but I couldn't see him any where near the site. I looked around the campsite for hints to where Ben could have gone, when I noticed footprints in the dirt. I noticed that the footprints led into the woods.

I followed the footprints into the woods and kept going, wondering if this was actually the way that Ben went after he left. Eventually, I came to a clearing in the woods, where I saw Ben, sitting on his behind, with his legs drawn to his chest. I slowly snuck up on him, so that I could get a better look at him.

Before he noticed me, I noticed his eyes were red and puffy. Probably from crying.

"Ben?" I asked, finally breaking the silence.

He turned around to face me, tears coming from his green eyes. I was expecting him to yell at me for intruding, and I was going to speak, when he beat me to it.

"I'm sorry." he said, as he wiped his eyes.

I was completely and utterly confused.

 _What was he sorry about? I should have been the one apologizing. Grandpa was right. I had said something awful and I had to apologize._

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked. "I'm the one who said something mean to _you_."

Ben shook his head, as if he were refusing to allow me to apologize. He got up, wiping his face of tears again.

"I"m done trying." he said.

"You're done trying what?" I asked.

"I'm done trying to get your attention." he said.

"My attention?" I asked in a confused tone. "What do you mean?"

"For the whole summer, I've been trying to get your attention. All I've wanted is to be your friend. Yes, my methods to do so have been weird, but I get it now." he said, confusing me even more. "It hasn't been more clear than right now, that you hate me. So, I give up. I'll leave you alone."

I was in shock.

 _He had been trying to get my attention? All he wanted was to be my friend and I've been such a jerk the whole time!_

Ben turned back around, sitting back down. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Ben-" I began to speak, but he cut me off.

"No. Just leave me alone, Gwen. Go back to camp." I said. "I'll return on my own accord."

Being left with no choice, I walked back to camp, leaving Ben alone as he requested.

 _Later_

Ben eventually returned to the campsite. Right now, it was almost dinner time and once again, Ben was nowhere to be found.

"Grandpa, have you seen Ben anywhere?" I asked with concern.

"No. I'm sure he's fine, Gwen." he replied, as he continued working on dinner.

"I'm going to go look for him." I said, as I moved towards the door of the RV.

"If you insist." he said, before I opened the door.

 _Ben_

I was lying on my back, on the roof of the Rust Bucket, looking up at the starry night sky. I heard the sound of the Rust Bucket's door opening from beneath me.

"Ben!" I heard Gwen call out.

I didn't say anything nor did I do anything. I just continued staring up at the sky, as I took a breath of air. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of someone climbing up the ladder to the roof of the RV.

"Hey, what are you doing up here?" Gwen asked, with a curious tone.

I didn't answer her. She got up onto the roof and sat beside me.

"Ben?" she asked, in a concerned tone.

"It's hard to think that all of those stars up in the sky, far away, they're just a part of other galaxies." I said, without looking at Gwen.

"Ben?" she asked, in an even more concerned voice.

"I've looked up at the night sky for a while now and I've finally realized it." I replied. "I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner. Looking up at the night sky just now, it makes me think, what if I don't belong here, on Earth?"

Gwen didn't say anything, so I turned my head to look at her. She was staring at me, with a look of shock on her face. Eventually, she smacked me on the cheek.

"Ow!" I exclaimed in surprise, covering my cheek with my hand. "What was that for?"

Gwen glared at me.

"How dare you?!" Gwen exclaimed. "How dare you say that, Ben Tennyson?"

"What do you care?" I shot back. "You hate me and you'd be happy if I was gone!"

Gwen slapped me again.

"Jeez, Gwen!" I exclaimed. "It's true and you know it! Once we get back home tomorrow, your life will be that much easier!"

"You're wrong!" Gwen exclaimed.

"No, I'm not." I said. "Tomorrow's the last day of summer and then I'll be out of your hair."

"I don't understand." Gwen said.

"No, you don't." I said. "Why don't you just go eat dinner? I want to be left alone."

Gwen just looked at me.

"Go." I said in a firm tone.

Gwen looked at me, with a scowl on her face. She got up from her place beside me.

"Fine." she said, in an angry tone.

She made her way back to the ground by way of the RV's ladder. I laid back down on the roof of the RV. I hooked my hands behind my head and continued to look up at the sky.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to go home tomorrow." I said.

 _The Next Day_

The RV pulled up outside of my house. I let out a sigh of sadness. I had been so grateful about returning home yesterday, but now, it seemed sad to me.

"Well, now or never." I said, as I got up, with all of my bags and followed my grandpa and cousin out of the RV.

I stepped out of the RV onto my front lawn and dropped all of my bags, looking at the house that I hadn't seen in months. I was about to say something, when I was pounced on by my dog. I started laughing, as my dog got up to my face and began licking me.

"Down boy, down!" I exclaimed, still laughing.

While I was downed on the ground, I caught a glimpse of Gwen. She had her arms crossed it looked like she was rolling her eyes. We never talked to each other after the talk we had last night. And whenever we did have to look at each other, we looked at each other with anger and hate.

I gently pushed my dog off of me and sat up, as I saw my front door open. My mom and dad had finally seen or had heard the activity from the outside.

"Ben!" my mom and dad said in unison, as they both lightly jogged over to us.

I stood up and when my mom got to me, she got on her knee so she could hug me.

"How was the trip, son?" my dad asked.

"It was okay." I said.

"Your cousin didn't give you too much trouble, did he Gwen?" my mom asked.

Gwen didn't speak for a second.

"No. He wasn't much trouble." Gwen said, sporting her "Miss Perfect" smile.

"That's good." my mom said.

"Hi, son." Grandpa Max replied, addressing my dad.

"Father." my dad said, looking at Grandpa Max with a stern gaze.

"Oh, look at the time!" Grandpa Max exclaimed. "I promised Gwen's mom I'd have her home a half hour ago. We need to get going!"

I eyed Gwen for the last time that day. She walked up to me, probably to hug me like a normal cousin would. Of course, I didn't consider her a normal cousin and I doubt she did either.

"Well, I guess-" Gwen began to speak, but I interrupted her.

"Yeah. See you around." I said, as I stepped closer to my house, silently telling her I wasn't interested in talking.

Gwen just looked at me, with a sad look on her face, before turning around and getting back onto the RV. Grandpa Max followed her, after saying his good byes to me and my parents, and closed the door. The RV started and took off down the road.

I walked to the side of the road, as the RV drove away. I saw the curtains at the back open up and I saw Gwen, sitting there, with a longing look in her eyes. She probably wanted to make amends for all of the trouble she'd caused me that summer. But it was no use.

She had made it clear that she hated me. I just wanted to leave her alone, just as she always wanted me to. I wasn't completely over how mean she had been to me. Of course, then, my dumb ten-year-old self probably didn't fully understand what was happening.

"I'll be in my room." I said, as I picked up my bags.

"Just as you left it, Ben!" my mom called.

"Cool." I said, under my breath.

I walked into my house with my bags and headed towards my room. I opened my door and saw that my mom was right. My room was a mess, just like it was the afternoon I had left with Gwen and Grandpa on summer vacation.

I sighed, as I dropped my bags and flopped down onto my bed. I rolled over onto my stomach and put my head into my pillow. I don't know. I should feel happy that Gwen and I were separated now, but I wasn't. I felt sad. I rolled onto my side, as I felt the urge to cry.

 _Was it possible that she was really sorry? Did she really want to be my friend and start off on a new leaf with me? Was I really the idiot here?_

Still thinking about it, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

 _Seven Years Later_

I laid on my side, on my bed, as I continued thinking. I sat up, and yawned as I stretched.

I rubbed my eyes, after waking up only seconds later. I didn't usually take a nap after school, but today was an exception. Being the first afternoon of Christmas Break, I was really stressed out.

Today I took my Calculus final, and I had no idea if I passed. That was the stressed part. Being as dumb as my school's curriculum was, grades were mailed out to parents the 27th of December.

I was hardly relieved that the first semester was over. Sure, it may have been the twenty first, four days to Christmas, but that didn't mean anything. Gwen and I were reuniting after three years. And, unfortunately, the last time we saw each other, we fought _again_.

And seeing her on Christmas Eve was almost certainly sure to be hell on Earth. I looked over at my wallet, full of the allowance I had collected over the last year. All of it wasted on a girl. Oh, the irony.

 _I hope it works out._

"Oh, it's going to be a long week." I said, as I fell over onto my bed.

A/N: So, what did you think of the first chapter of this fic? Like I said in the first author's note, this story is going to be more hurt/discomfort than it is romance, at least until the last two or three chapters. Also, another reminder, Ben never got the Omnitrix in this story. I lied when I said that Ben and Gwen are normal people. Gwen is still an Anodite. It's just a subject never touched on in this story. The actual plot of the story begins in the next chapter. And I will continue updating over the course of the winter, the story probably ending in the late Spring of 2018. The next chapter will be up in two to three weeks. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2: Christmas Eve

Chapter 2: Christmas Eve

 _ **Disclaimer: I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to chapter two of this one shot!

* This chapter takes place seven years after that "fight" that Ben and Gwen had when they were ten. This is where the plot for the story really begins. The plot being that after not seeing each other for so long, Ben and Gwen begin to see each other in a new light. And then that leads to the hurt/discomfort side of things, once their hormones become involved with their feelings. Now, I know that is probably confusing and doesn't make a lot of sense.

* I just hope that the story is easy to follow, as all of my other stories are. Anyway, enough rambling on. I hope you guys enjoy the second installment!

 _Ben_

 _Seven Years Later_

My shovel stabbed into the snow, as I continued shoveling the driveway. I pulled my shovel out and tossed the snow pile aside. My father was also helping me shovel the driveway.

"So, uh, you excited about seeing Gwen tonight?" he asked me.

"Not really." I said, in a glum tone.

"Why not?" he asked.

"It's been three years since our last fight, Dad. She probably isn't looking forward to seeing me either." I said.

"How can you know that?" my dad asked.

"Dad, Gwen and I have had several fights in the past. And I'm sure she's sick of history repeating itself." I said. "No wonder she wouldn't want to see me."

My dad stopped shoveling the snow. I turned to look at him, sensing a lecture coming on.

"What?" I asked.

"You need to stop assuming things." he said, as he gave me a stern look.

"Why? Why would she want to see me?" I asked.

"Just because you get into a fight with a family member doesn't mean that you and said family member won't ever talk to or see each other again." he said.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I said, as I continued shoveling the driveway.

"Hey." my father said a couple seconds later, in a stern tone.

I looked back at him, seeing a stern look on his face.

"You don't get to talk to me like that." he said, before his look lightened up a little. "Come on, let's get this driveway shoveled and head inside for some hot cocoa. It's cold out here."

"Really fucking cold." I said, under my breath.

"What was that, that just came out of your mouth just now?" my dad asked in a very stern tone.

I sighed before speaking.

"It's really freaking cold." I corrected myself.

"That's what I thought you said." my father said, as he narrowed his eyes.

We continued shoveling the snow for another five or ten minutes.

 _Hours Later_

I was in the living room, watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, when the doorbell rang.

"Can somebody get the door?" my mom called from the kitchen. "Carl! Get the door please!"

"Make Ben do it!" my dad exclaimed back to my mom, as he sat next to me.

"Ben, get the door!" my mom called.

"Make dad do it!" I called back.

"Carl, get the door!" my mom called.

"Make Ben do it!" my dad yelled, as he kicked my leg.

"Ben, get the door!" my mom exclaimed.

I let out a sigh of defeat, as I got up from the couch. I went to the door and opened it, to see my Uncle Frank, Aunt Natalie and cousin Ken standing on the stoop. Before I said hello, I noticed it was snowing again.

 _Great. As if we need more snow._

"Hiya, Ben!" Uncle Frank said.

"Hey, Uncle Frank." I said. "Merry Christmas."

"Right back at you, cuz." Ken said, as he stepped forward past me, letting himself in.

"So, uh, where's Gwen at?" I asked a few seconds later.

"She's getting the presents from the car." Uncle Frank said, as he walked with his wife into the house. "Be a sport and help her?"

"What other choice do I have?" I asked, knowing that he didn't hear me.

I walked down the newly shoveled driveway, to where Aunt Natalie and Uncle Frank had parked their car. I walked up to their car, to see someone bent over, getting their arms into the backseat.

"Hey, uh, you need some-" I was speaking, but cut myself off when the person stood up straight to look at me.

I was looking at a beautiful red head.

"Hey, Ben!" Gwen exclaimed.

"-Help?" the last part of my sentence came out in a squeak, rather than the bold tone I meant to use.

I couldn't stop looking at her, she was _so_ beautiful! She had amazing, shoulder-length, fiery red hair. Even with her winter jacket on, I could tell she had a slender body. And her chest was -, wait, let's not go there. That would be a mistake.

In fact, all of those thoughts were a mistake. What in the hell was I thinking? Thinking about my beautiful, red headed cousin. It's not natural to think about your cousin like that, right?

"Could you stop staring at me, Doofus?" Gwen asked, giving me a quizzical look. "You're beginning to creep me out."

I snapped out of whatever trance I was in, and looked at her normally.

"Sorry. It's just that you look _a lot_ different than you did when I last saw you." I said.

Gwen smiled.

"Did you actually think that I wasn't going to forgive you?" she asked.

I didn't say anything, I stood stood there and sort of shrugged, with my hands in my pockets.

"You are _such_ a Doofus!" Gwen exclaimed giddily, before throwing her arms around me and pulling me into a hug.

"Oh God, Gwen. I missed you so much!" I said, before returning her hug. "I thought you'd never want to see me again!"

"You silly Doofus! You have to stop thinking every fight we have will seal our future." she said.

We continued to hug for almost a minute more, when I felt something hit me in the back. I let out a yelp of surprise, as I pulled away from the hug. I turned around to see Ken, with a couple of snowballs in his hand.

"Okay slackers, that was a warning!" he exclaimed.

Gwen and I exchanged glances, before looking back at Ken.

"You're out here to help my sister with the presents, not to catch up!" he exclaimed. "You can do that inside!"

"You forgot something, Ken!" I called to him.

"Yeah? And what's that?" he asked.

"You forgot that I run track for my school!" I exclaimed, as I sprinted over to him.

Once I reached him, and he failed trying to get back into the house, I tackled him to the snow covered ground. Ken laughed uncontrollably as I tackled him to the ground. A few seconds later, as I tried to get back up, I was forced back down, when a sudden weight came down on my back.

I felt myself grow warm, as I began to blush, feeling Gwen's weight on top of me.

"Group hug!" she exclaimed, before stretching her arms around Ken and I.

Ken, too, stretched his arms around Gwen and I.

"Um, what the hell is going on here?" I asked.

No one answered, so I just stayed there until Gwen got up, which was a few minutes later.

"Now how about those damn presents?" Ken asked, once we were all standing once again.

"Real mature, Ken. You may be in college, but that doesn't mean you have a right to cuss up a storm!" I said.

"Yeah, yeah." Ken said, as he turned, making his way back into the house.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked. "Get back here and help us!"

"Eh, it's not my job. Do it yourself." he asked, as he disappeared back into the house.

"What a lazy ass." I said, before turning back to Gwen. "Let's get to the presents."

I walked past Gwen and towards the car again. I got into the backseat, on the other side of the car and began to collect presents.

"So, you run track for your school?" Gwen asked, as she followed suit and helped me collect presents.

"Yeah." I said.

"You make it sound like I already knew." she said. "Can you cut me some slack? It's been years since we've seen each other."

"Sorry." I said, as I got out of the backseat with the presents in my hands. "I didn't expect you to want to talk to me after so long. I didn't expect you to be here today either."

I walked back to the house, carrying several presents, as Gwen followed. We put the first load of presents that they brought in the living room, under the Christmas tree, next to my family's presents. Then, we went back outside for the last few handfuls.

"So, what are you doing before dinner? And before we open presents with the family?" Gwen asked.

"I'm probably just going to go downstairs and watch A Christmas Story when it comes on in an hour and a half." I said. "Why?"

"Just asking." Gwen said, as she got her handful of presents.

I grabbed my last handful of presents and walked back to the house, Gwen right behind me. Once I had gotten the presents under the tree, I went to the kitchen to get a drink. My mom gave me a disappointed look as I came in.

"Ben, your shirt is all wet. Go change it!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, Mom! It's just water!" I said.

"Go change!" she ordered.

"Jeez, fine, I'm going." I said. "Guess I can't win an argument with my mother."

My mom smiled in satisfaction. I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall towards my room. I entered my room, removing my long sleeved cotton shirt. I threw it across the room, barely making it into the hamper. I opened my closet and looked for another long sleeved shirt.

"Hey, Ben-" I heard Gwen's voice from my doorway.

I looked over to my doorway, to see Gwen standing there, with a blush on her face.

"Jesus!" I exclaimed, as I somersaulted over to my door and kicking it closed.

"Really, Ben?" Gwen asked from the other side of the door. "You're just shirtless, it's no big deal."

"Yeah, it's no big deal to you!" I exclaimed. "But if you were on this side of the door, shirtless, it'd be a big deal for you!"

"Ben, I'm a girl. Of course it'd be a big deal for me. I have, er, assets that you don't." Gwen said. "It's nothing to you."

 _That is crap. I didn't want to tell her that I actually wanted her to see me shirtless, to impress her. You're probably thinking that's weird, but ever since I've seen her again, I've seen her as just beautiful. I thought I was growing a crush on her, but it was just hormones. Wasn't it?_

"I'm not having this conversation through a door." I said, as I rooted around in my closet.

"Really? You are such a Doofus." Gwen said from the other side of the door.

I found a brown long sleeved shirt in my closet and reached for it. I put it on and opened the door. I walked past Gwen without saying anything and headed back towards the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom. I'm heading downstairs to watch T.V. in the game room." I said, as I walked past her.

"Okay, honey. Dinner is in twenty minutes." she said.

I felt irritated, it was like she was trying to embarrass me on purpose.

"Thanks." I said, as I headed down the stairs to the downstairs area.

I flipped on the light down the stairs and headed for the laundry room that was also down here. I wasn't completely lying, but the reason I came down here wasn't just to watch T.V. I knew that Gwen would eventually be down here and I wanted to trick her into kissing me.

I needed to know if this was actual love that I felt for her, or if it was just hormones. I was digging through the box of X-Mas decorations for mistletoe. I was going to hang it on the wooden support beam above the couch.

Once I had done that, I sat down on the couch and waited. It didn't take too long, maybe fifteen minutes or so. I heard her coming down the stairs, but I kept paying attention to the T.V.

"Hey Ben, your mom told me to tell you that dinner is ready." she said.

I ignored her.

"Ben?" Gwen asked, as she walked up to the couch.

I looked at her, to see she was standing right where I wanted her to stand. Underneath the mistletoe.

"Ben, it's time for dinner." she replied.

"Thanks." I said, as I continued looking at her. "You do realize where you're standing, don't you?"

She saw the look on my face and eventually looked up. She saw the mistletoe above her and her face went red. She looked back at me.

"Ben?" she asked as I stood up.

I moved towards her and she stepped backwards.

"Ben, don't." she said, as I gently put my hand on her cheek.

I ignored her as I gently placed my lips on hers, moving my hand so it gently grasped the back of her neck. She didn't return the kiss until a few seconds into it and she didn't return the kiss for that long either.

After maybe ten seconds, she pulled away from the kiss as fast as she could. She stared at me with a look of disgust, I'm pretty sure it was.

"What the hell?" she whispered, as she turned and darted for the stairs.

I stood there alone for a minute or two. I began to rub the back of my neck.

"That was the reaction that I pretty much expected from her." I said. "Well, this is going to be a weird evening."

I heaved a sigh, before walking to the stairs.

 _Author's Note:_

* Okay, so that's the chapter for today! I was running short on time when I finished up this chapter and it came out a week or two later than I promised, I realize that.

* So, what did you guys think? I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. Chapter three will be out in a week, week in a half tops? That chapter will have more awkward behavior between Ben and Gwen. That is a promise.

* So, please favorite and follow the story if you are enjoying it so far! If you want to submit your opinion you can either post a review or PM me, either method is acceptable. I'm going to go though, so have a great day and bye!


	3. Update

Update:

Hey what's up, people? Um, I think you can tell that this isn't a normal chapter. It is an update. And it's not an update that I ever wanted to make. But I guess if I didn't have to make this update, then we all wouldn't be here, right? Anyway...

I don't want this update to be very long, so I'll just get to the point. If you live in the United States, then you should already know that on December 14th, the FCC repealed Net Neutrality. And if you don't live in the U.S., then I'm pretty sure this doesn't affect you.

Either way, in the country I live in, Net Neutrality is now gone. And that isn't good news for me. And you might be wondering why I'm even making an update about this. Well, I'll get to it pretty soon. For those of you who don't know what Net Neutrality is, you can either google it for yourself or just listen to the explanation I'm about to give you.

Net Neutrality is the concept that Internet service providers (or ISPs) should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.

So, what does this mean for me, a teenager living in the U.S.? And what does it mean for anyone else who doesn't live here, in the U.S.? I honestly don't know why I asked that last question. It most likely won't affect any of you who live outside of the U.S.

Anyway, _now_ to the point. It is now legal (in the U.S.) for ISPs to "fracture the internet" and charge more for the leftover pieces. If you're a gamer and know what microtransactions in games are, than you might get this. The whole internet is now basically a giant f***ing microtransaction.

ISPs can now charge higher prices for high speed internet and that's more of a disclaimer for me. That doesn't threaten me as a Fanfiction writer. Sure, it may take me slower to post, but I can live with that.

What I am _worried_ about is the fact that ISPs can now legally block any website for any reason. I'm sure the content on any website would have to be offensive or harmful to them, but I don't really know.

So, I'm sure that a few of the websites that I visit on a daily basis are bound to be blocked. I understand that. But the website I'm most scared of being blocked, is this one. I love this website and I love writing. This website lets me do just that. I love writing and I love getting feedback from all my followers (the few that I have right now).

I don't want this website to be blocked. But I have no control that possibility. If this website does get blocked and I can no longer use it, that's just bad for me. So, I hope it doesn't happen. But it's not hopeless. Congress has sixty working days to review and overrule the FCC's proposal. Which I hope they do.

But in any case, whether they do or do not overrule it, I can live with either decision. Because either way, I don't think this change will be permanent. That would be just stupid.

I just wanted to let you guys know that if I'm in active for a month and a half or longer, it's not my fault. I wouldn't abandon this thing and leave my stories unfinished. I've been doing this thing for almost four years and I love it. I don't intend to quit anytime soon.

Obviously, the effects of this won't take place until next year (unless Congress overrules this) and for now, I'm safe. But like I said, if I go inactive for a long period of time, it has nothing to do with me. I promise you that.

As for those who don't live in America, I'm happy for you. I'm happy that you don't have to suffer through this and face the hurdles that the repeal of Net Neutrality will put Americans through.

I'm going to post this on all of my active stories. I want it to be seen by those who enjoy the content that I put out.

So, I good luck to you people who don't live here, I hope you don't get hit with this too, godspeed, and with that, I hope that I won't be forced to stop posting!


	4. Chapter 3: Nightfall

Chapter 3: Nightfall

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to chapter three! In this chapter, we'll see the night of Christmas Eve fully flesh out.

* In this chapter, the awkward tension between Ben and Gwen will be very noticeable. I can say that for sure. The scenes in this chapter will range from Christmas Eve dinner to opening presents and then to just the end of the night.

* A lot of you might be wondering why this story is called "Cold Winter's Night" and so if you are, I'll tell you now. It's called "Cold Winter's Night", because for reasons that you will find out in this chapter, Ben and Gwen are stuck in his house for the entire night. And it is a cold night. So, there. That's it. If any of you wondered what the title meant, now you know.

* Anyway, on with the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _Why had I kissed her?_

I don't know. I had no idea why kissed her. I guess it just felt right. Although to Gwen, it obviously didn't feel right. And now she was off to go tattle on me.

What are we, five? We're way over tattling on each other. I was hoping that she wouldn't mention anything to her parents. I don't see why she would, she's practically an adult, like me.

I headed up the stairs to the dining room to get ready to eat. Gwen was the only one in there when I got in. As soon as she saw me, her face went pale and she quickly walked out of the room.

I let out a sigh as she left. I stood there for a while, until mom came up to me.

"You can set the table while you're waiting, Ben." she said. "That would be quite nice."

I wanted to object, but I had no choice. I went around the table, setting down all of the plates, followed by silverware, cups and napkins. Next I was tasked with moving the bowls of side dishes onto the table.

About five to ten minutes later, everyone was in the room and getting slices of ham from the platter and putting it on their plate. Gwen had already sat down at the table with her plate. I wanted to test just how uncomfortable she was around me now.

So, I took my plate and sat across the table from her. Her faced reddened, but she didn't do anything. Eventually, just as her mother sat down, she got up to move to a different spot of the table, I assumed.

"Hey, where are you going?" her mom asked.

"Um, nowhere." she said, before sitting back down.

Dinner was as awkward as one could imagine. Every time I looked up at Gwen or she looked at me, the other would quickly look back down at their plate.

 _Jesus, I have got some explaining to do, haven't I? I must have really messed up this time. But there was no way that she'd tell her parents, right? We're nearly adults, now! No, she has to keep it to herself._

I ate in silence and so did Gwen. The rest of the table was much more lively. Fathers talked about work. Mothers talked about the upcoming New Years party, what to cook, if we should have a theme, blah, blah, blah. And Ken chimed in every now and again. For the most part, I tuned them all out.

Dinner was over in fifteen to twenty minutes. Gwen volunteered for dish duty. And I volunteered to help her. I knew she didn't like standing with me after what I had done. Kissing her. But we were silent. No interaction was between us, except when I passed her a dish that had been rinsed and needed to be sat with the other clean dishes.

After we were done, we just stood in the kitchen, having time left over. She stood with her back to the counter. She tapped her foot on the tile floor with impatience. She looked at me with a look of intent in her eyes, as she tapped her finger on her chin.

"What?" I asked.

She finally let out a sigh of anger. She stepped forward and angrily grabbed me by my shirt, pulling me along as she walked towards the hallway to the basement stairs.

"Ow, ow! Gwen! Hang on!" I said, as she dragged me down the stairs.

Once we were downstairs, she plopped me down on the floor and stared down at me.

"Why the hell did you kiss me?!" she asked with anger.

I stood up and she cautiously backed up.

"Gwen, please." I said, as I gently placed my hands on her shoulders. "Listen to yourself. Is it really not obvious? You are beautiful! Possibly the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen."

She looked at me with surprise. She didn't blush. She didn't smile. She didn't take it as a compliment, which didn't surprise me.

"I mean, look at you." I said, as I gently touched her face. "Your amazing green eyes, your luscious fiery red hair, your-"

"Ben, snap out of it!" she exclaimed, as she smacked my cheek, causing me to let go of her.

I felt my face, as I snapped out of whatever phase I was in. I looked at her and she looked back at me, with a bit of a concerned look.

"I'm so sorry, Gwen! I have no idea what I was thinking!" I exclaimed, as I put my hands over my eyes. "Oh my God, what the hell was I thinking?! I have a girlfriend!"

"Ben! Gwen! What are you doing down there?!" I heard my mother call. "It's present time!"

Gwen put her hand on my shoulder and I turned to face her.

"We never speak of this to anyone? You hear me?" she asked.

No she didn't ask, she just basically told me.

"Yeah. Okay." I said, as she walked past me.

"Good. I better not hear of this again." she said.

I watched her go, before following a few seconds later.

 _Forty Five Minutes Later_

I sat in the spot that I usually sat in while I opened my Christmas presents. We were all done opening the presents that we had all gotten one another. Tomorrow was the big present day.

Opening a few presents on Christmas Eve was just a tradition that we did every year, since we all couldn't be together on Christmas Day. I will admit that I was slightly disappointed. I only got three presents. Ken got me a twenty five dollar card to Gamestop.

 _Thanks Ken, for taking the cheap route. This will be enough to buy, oh, I don't know, a used game?_

And Gwen's parents? Uncle Frank and Aunt Natalie? They got me fifty dollars and a book that they said is a classic. Moby Dick. I was aware that it was a classic. But I was also aware that Moby Dick was long, complex and difficult to read. So, it wasn't like I'd actually read it.

I hadn't gotten a present from Gwen. So I was more or less disappointed by the outcome. Once everyone was done with the present opening, I went to my room to be alone for a while.

I was just staring outside my window, at the fresh snow falling. I heard a light tap on my door.

"Come on in." I said out loud.

The door opened and Gwen came in, closing the door behind her.

"How you doing?" she asked, as she stepped up to my bed.

I shrugged, as I scooted over, offering her the space next to me.

"I'm okay, I guess." I said.

"You seemed kind of bummed out after we finished with the presents." she remarked, as she sat down.

"God, am I really that easy to read?" I asked.

She smirked at me.

"Ben, I'll always be able to read you. Except when you kissed me." she said. "I didn't see that coming."

"I thought we weren't talking about that?" I asked.

"You're right, you're right." Gwen said. "Sorry."

We sat in silence for a minute or two more.

"Well, we're leaving soon. So here." she said.

I turned to look at her. She was handing me a package wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper.

"After that thing between us, I decided you didn't deserve a present from me." she said, as I took it from her. "I now realize that it was a shitty thing for me to do. I'm sorry, Ben."

I placed the present on the bed and got up.

"Thanks." I said, as I walked over to my bookshelf, where I had hid her present. "Let's call it even."

"Ben?" she asked with confusion.

"Merry Christmas, Gwen." I said, as I handed her the present.

She took the present with shock, as I sat back down next to her. She looked up at me, I guess waiting for me to tell her it was just a prank or something, and saw I was serious. She looked back down and opened up the present, eventually gasping with shock.

"My favorite book, signed by the author herself?" she asked, as she looked up at me. "Ben, how did you know?"

I shrugged.

"Your favorite author was in town for a book signing. So, I asked my mom if there were any books that you'd want signed." I said. "She mentioned that one and well, the rest is as they say, history."

"Ben... I don't know what to say." she said, with a bewildered look in her eyes.

"Then don't say anything. If you're speechless, that's good enough for me." I said, as I smiled.

We just sat there for a while, before she spoke again.

"Aren't you going to open your present?" Gwen asked.

I was brought back to my senses after she had said that.

"Right." I said, as I picked it up off of the bed.

I began to unwrap the package until on the paper was gone. It was a copy of Halo 4.

"Huh. I considered the series to be over after Bungie left." I said, as I flipped the case over to look at the back.

"What is Bungie?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, it's the company that produced Halo games. They stopped after Halo: Reach came out, that was their final game." I explained. "I didn't have high expectations for 343 Industries, the new company. I didn't really plan on getting the game."

"So, you don't want it." Gwen said, as she looked down.

I was surprised she said that.

"No, I was considering buying it after a while. I'll give it a play through. I-I- Thanks, Gwen." I said, as I placed the game down and smiled at her.

"I'd hug you, but after the uh, you know, it's kind of awkward." she said.

"No, no. I understand." I said.

We sat there for a while in silence. She eventually got up to leave.

"Well, thanks for the present, Ben. I think we're heading out soon." she said.

At that moment, my door opened. My Mom poked her head in.

"Gwen, bad news, dear. The driveway is completely frozen over." she said. "Your dad can't get out of the driveway. It's looking like you're going to have to stay here for the night."

"Okay..." Gwen said.

"If you'll come here, your mother wants to talk to you." she said.

After that, Gwen left and I was alone again. After a while, my door opened again. I looked up to see Gwen standing there.

"Well, what's the word?" I asked.

"Since when do you talk like that?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"So, what's going on?" I asked.

"Ken and I are going back to my house to get pajamas and things." she said. "You want to come with? You could be a help to us."

"Sure." I said, getting up from my bed and grabbing my winter jacket from my closet. "What else am I going to do?"

I put on my jacket and walked out into the hallway with her.

 _Five Minutes Later_

After collecting Ken, the three of us went outside and started the journey to Gwen and Ken's house, which was a good four or five blocks away.

"Come on, guys." I said, as Ken and Gwen walked slower than me, as well as being behind me. "It's only snowing lightly right now, but it's going to get worse. Our parents told us about the blizzard that's supposed to hit in the next few hours. I don't want to take any chances."

They didn't say anything as I picked up my pace. I could hear them talking behind me, but I didn't know what they were talking about.

"So, uh, Ken? How are things going for you guys?" I asked.

I didn't get an answer.

"Guys? Guys?" I asked, as I turned around to see them balance walking on the edge of the curb. "What on Earth are you two doing?"

"Winning a bet." Ken said, as he continued to walk and maintain balance.

"You wish." Gwen said, as she did the same, walking on the edge of the curb behind Ken.

Even though I was confused, I couldn't help but laugh at them as they continued walking along the edge.

 _It could always be like this. As long as I don't mess it up again,_ I thought to myself.

My thoughts were interrupted, as Gwen began to stumble a little. She tried to recover, but eventually saved herself by just stepping off of the curb and onto the street.

Ken began laughing.

"Well? It looks like I won!" he said. "So, where's my prize?"

Gwen looked at him for a second with annoyance for a few seconds. Eventually, she sighed and stepped up to him.

"Fine." she said, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a peppermint candy can, handing it to him. "You can have my candy cane."

"Thank you." Ken said, as she took it from him.

"All of that for a candy cane?!" I exclaimed.

Gwen looked at me in confusion, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Yeah. Does it matter?" she asked.

I just laughed to myself as I turned around.

"Let's just get to the house." I said, as I walked away, continuing to chuckle.

 _Sometime Later_

Ken and I stood in his room. He was grabbing a few pairs of pants, pajama pants and shirts, just in case the blizzard that's coming blocks off their way home for more than one night. He was also getting his toothbrush and other hygiene stuff.

"So, uh, how are you guys doing here?" I asked.

Ken didn't respond at first as he went on his way packing his duffel bag.

"Eh, we're okay. I guess. College is going great." he finally responded. "I'm heading into second semester of my Sophomore year. Gwen's private school has changed it's curriculum, not to Mom and Dad's liking. She's transferring to your school at the start of the new semester."

"Wait, she is?" I asked.

He turned to face me.

"Yeah. Did she not tell you?" he asked.

"No, she didn't." I said.

Ken turned back to his bag.

"Well, Mom made it a point to tell Gwen to tell you that she was transferring to your school." he said. "Maybe she forgot."

"No, I don't think that's the case. You guys weren't going to stay if it weren't for the impending blizzard." I said. "She could have told me when we talked earlier, and she didn't. My take? She doesn't want to tell me."

Ken shrugged as he continued packing.

 _Some Hours Later_

We got back home okay. Everyone had warm clothes for the night, which was all and good. Gwen and Ken were taking the guest room, which had a bed. Ken said he could make a pallet of blankets on the floor for himself, no problem.

Their parents were sleeping in the living room, on the pull out couch. So no one had to give up their room. I was happy about that. There was no way I was giving up my room. Right now, the three of us, being Ken, Gwen and I were downstairs.

Ken and I were trying the co-op campaign on Halo 4, while Gwen read the book that I had gotten her.

"Watch out, you have an Elite coming up on your left." Ken said, as he fired at an incoming unit of Grunts.

"Thanks, dude." I said, as I disposed of the unwanted enemy.

After a few more seconds of silence, Ken spoke again.

"The art style has definitely changed. It's not like Bungie did their art style." he said.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I like 343's art style." I said, as I scratched my neck. "It looks too... real."

"I don't think I could have said it better myself." Ken said, as we continued playing.

I felt sorry for Gwen. What if we were making her feel left out? She had barely said three words to either of us. I paused the game and looked at her.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Ken asked.

I ignored him, and began to talk to Gwen.

"Gwen, do you want to play, too?" I asked.

"You're wasting your time, dude." Ken said. "She's a girl, she's not into video games."

I was about to speak to Gwen again, but she finally spoke.

"You boys have your stupid video games and I have my book. I'm fine." she said.

"But you're the one who bought me the game!" I said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, you guys just play your games and I'll be here reading my book." she said. "We do that, and we'll get along fine."

Ken and I exchanged glances at each other, before shrugging and going back to the game.

 _Night_

 _Around 9:45 P.M._

Everyone had gone to bed maybe an hour and a half ago. I wasn't really tired when I went to my room for the night. So, after getting into my pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt, I turned on the T.V. to watch A Christmas Story as I fell asleep.

Everyone got at least two blankets on their beds, as it was supposed to get really cold tonight. If it wasn't enough, we were told spare blankets was in the hallway closet. I was curious to see how much it had snowed and well, to say that it snowed would be putting it lightly.

Before getting into bed, I looked out my bedroom window and saw that there was fresh snow on the ground. I couldn't even see the ground to begin with. And it was _still_ snowing! I could tell because the street lights illuminated the falling snowflakes.

As I laid in bed, slowly growing more and more drowsy, the light of the T.V. illuminated the room and I saw the door to my room slowly opening, followed by a creaking sound. I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. I heard the shuffle of footsteps coming towards my bed. They stopped there.

"Ben?" I heard Gwen quietly call out. "Are you awake?"

I slowly opened my eyes, to give the impression that she had woken me up. She was standing over me, right next to my bed, wearing pajama pants that looked like they were made of a really thin clothe, and a sleeveless shirt.

"Gwen?" I asked in a confused voice. "What is it?"

"I'm cold." she said, as she had her arms folded onto her chest, hugging herself, trying to warm herself up.

 _Maybe you wouldn't be cold if you were wearing pajama pants made of a thicker clothe, and if you wearing a long sleeved shirt like me._

That's what I wanted to say. But of course I didn't say it. I didn't want to start another quarrel with Gwen.

"Why don't you just go get a blanket from the closet?" I asked, as I yawned.

"I don't want to go get a blanket, I don't want to make noise and wake someone up." she said, as she stepped closer to the bed. "I want to sleep with you."

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Please, Ben? Just so I can warm myself back up?" she asked, giving me puppy dog eyes. " _Please?_ "

I wanted to say no and brush her off. It would be so awkward after that mishap in the basement. But, what choice did I have? I would have to say yes. She was cold and she was asking for something that would give her warmth.

" _Please?_ " she asked, leaning down to look at me in the eyes, giving me those same puppy dog eyes.

I let out a sigh.

"You left my door open. Go back and close it." I said, as I threw the covers back a little bit.

"Thank you, Ben!" she replied.

"Shh!" I hushed her. "It's all well and good, just keep it down."

She went back to close my door and when she came back, I began to scoot over in my overly large bed. But she did something I wasn't anticipating. She laid down directly on top of me!

"Gwen, what the hell?!" I whispered.

"I can't get warm while lying beside you, I need to be on top of you!" she whispered back, a blush on her cheeks visible.

"Okay, that's fine. Sorry." I whispered, as I used my remote to shut off the T.V. I put the remote on my night stand.

She rested her head on my chest, the top of her head touching my chin. My heart was pounding a million miles per second right now.

"Gwen, if you ever tell anyone about this, I swear I'll-" I began to whisper, but she interrupted.

"No, I won't tell. I promise. I won't ever tell." she whispered back.

That made me feel a little better, but not by much. I decided to try to go to sleep now, just get the night over with.

 _Gwen_

I wasn't completely lying. I was actually cold. But that wasn't exactly why I asked to sleep with him. I shifted, pretending to be asleep. I felt him move a little in response to this and couldn't help but smile in response.

This must be really weird for him and I kind of felt sorry for him. I just needed an answer.

 _Ben_

Gwen had to be asleep by now. I gently placed my hand on her back and she didn't respond to it.

 _This is so weird, her sleeping with me. So, if that's the case, then why does it feel right?_

 _Author's Note:_

* And so, that's it for this chapter! I am sorry it took so long, I've been really busy lately since the last chapter came out. I hope that this chapter is received better than the last two were.

* How are things between Ben and Gwen? Any comments that any of you guys want to make on their relationship as of now? One thing I will ask you guys: What do you think Gwen needs an answer to?

* The next chapter will have another time jump, (well, actually, most of the story is time jumps) but this time we're only jumping a week into Ben's future. So a week after Christmas is when the next chapter is taking place.

* One last thing: I was originally going to use this time to go off on a tangent about some of the "errors" in this story. But, I decided it wasn't worth my time. So, I decided against it. That's pretty much all I have. I'm going to go though, so have a fantastic day and, bye.


	5. Chapter 4: New Year's Kiss

Chapter 4: New Year's Kiss

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to chapter four!

* In this chapter, Ben and Gwen's weird, messed up, whatever you want to call it relationship will develop more, with something at the end of this chapter. I will say that and that alone.

* So, I hope you guys enjoy and on with the chapter!

 _Ben_

A week has passed since that night. The night that Gwen and I slept together. Nothing happened! She was just cold. Gwen, Ken and their parents left a day and a half after Christmas.

They stayed again the night of Christmas and thank God, Gwen didn't come to sleep with me this time. It was just to weird and awkward having her in my bed. But once again, if that was the case, then why did it feel right?

I mean, if I do have romantic feelings for Gwen, I shouldn't. It's really weird and especially weird, because I have a girlfriend. Scratch that, _had_ a girlfriend. I mean the situation wasn't bad enough, with me having potential romantic feelings for Gwen.

But now, _now_ , I didn't have a girlfriend and thoughts about what a relationship with Gwen plagued my mind. And it shouldn't be that way. I never mentioned that I didn't have a girlfriend anymore, did I? Well uh, where do I start?

We went out for lunch a few days ago. Julie Yamamoto is her name. She was actually a really pretty girl. Black hair and brown eyes, light tan. She was nice, too. We had planned to go out to lunch at least once over Christmas Break.

And she dumped me over lunch. Kind of a shit deal, huh? She said that we'd always be friends, but what's the point? There would always be an awkward tension between whenever we talk or do something together. We always talked about being together on New Year's this year and kissing at midnight.

But I guess that's all changed hasn't it? As for the rest of the family, I assume Gwen and Ken's parents are doing okay. I really don't know. Ken came over once over the course of a couple days and we finished the Halo 4 co-op campaign. Nothing really spectacular. Gwen was never with him, so I haven't seen her for a few days.

I'll be seeing her again tonight at the New Year's party. Well, I wouldn't really call it a party. More of a get-together. But to me, a get-together sounds dumb. I guess party just sounds better.

I've been informed that Mom and Aunt Natalie decided on not having a theme. The dinner was same as last time, ham, which I was okay with. Like I said, there was no real theme. Gwen and her parents were coming up and we were just going to have dinner, watch T.V. and play party games.

Ken wasn't going to be able to make it this time. He had a thing he was doing with his friends tonight. No matter. So what if it was just going to be me, my parents, Gwen and her parents tonight? No big deal.

 _Later That Night_

We had been playing Monopoly for the past hour and a half. I went bankrupt within that time frame. It didn't really matter to me though. I wasn't really into the game. I was too busy thinking about how I wouldn't be kissing anyone at midnight. You know, because Julie dumped me?

Gwen was the one who fired the two fatal shots that ended me. I landed on a property of her's that had three houses on it. And then another property of her's with a hotel on it made me go bankrupt.

I tried to mortgage off my properties to pay off my debts. But the properties were so low tiered that I didn't get enough money to pay Gwen back. So naturally, I was out of the game.

The game went on for a couple more hours. And eventually, I just got bored of it and got up to leave the room.

"Ben, where are you going?" Mom asked.

"Um, I'm just going to go downstairs." I said. "I just want to be alone with my thoughts for a while."

I left the room and overheard Mom begin to speak to Dad.

"Carl, it's New Year's Eve! Go talk to your son and tell him to get back in here!" she said.

"Oh, leave him be, Sandra!" he exclaimed, a little louder than he should have. "He's a grown boy! If he wants to leave, let him leave!"

I could tell Dad was a little drunk, because he'd never say that. He would come get me, talk to me and if I didn't come myself, he'd drag me back into the living room by the back of my shirt.

I disregarded the fact and walked to the kitchen hallway, and then down the stairs. I turned on the T.V. I flopped down onto the couch and put my feet put on the coffee table.

I flipped through the channels, not finding anything particularly good on. That's cable for you. In three to four decades, there will be probably two million something channels and only two hundred or so have will have something remotely decent on. Alas, I just wanted to think that's all. I didn't come down here to watch T.V.

 _11:50 P.M._

I was actually beginning to watch T.V. and drift away from my thoughts when she came down the stairs.

"Hey, you okay?" Gwen asked.

I turned to look at her.

"I'm fine. What makes you ask?" I asked.

She came over to sit down on the couch next to me.

"Well, you seemed bummed out when you left." she said. "Did something happen?"

Gwen wasn't lying. She really was good at reading me. I let out a sigh.

"Yeah, something did happen." I said, as I looked at the ground. "A few days ago my girlfriend, Julie and I went out to lunch. She dumped me over lunch."

"Oh," Gwen said, in a surprised tone. "Um, I'm sorry. Yeah, wow. That sucks."

"Really cheering me up there, Gwen." I said.

"Well, sorry Ben. I've never been in a relationship." she said. "I don't know what being dumped feels like."

"It's fine, I guess." I said. "I wouldn't be so upset if it weren't for the fact that we had talked about kissing at midnight tonight. And well, look where I'm at now."

"I'm sorry." she said again.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were being transferred to my school?" I asked.

Gwen's face flushed.

"You know." she said.

"Is that all you're going to say?" I asked.

"What do you want me to say?" Gwen asked.

"I would like you to apologize. I take it you never planned on telling me." I said. "So, what? I'd eventually see you at school, but you'd avoid me and never talk to me, leaving me with no explanation of why you're there? Is that it?"

"Yeah, probably so." Gwen said with a smug look. "That's probably what I'd do."

"But, why?" I asked. "What'd I do to make you want to avoid me at school, Gwen?"

"You kissed me. And I didn't like it." she said, as she gave me a look. "And sleeping with you didn't help the awkward tension between us."

"What?!" I exclaimed with surprise. "That wasn't my fault! I didn't ask you to sleep with me! That's your fault! You were the one who asked to sleep with me!"

"I know! You think that I don't know that?" she asked. "Jesus, Ben."

"Gwen, stop it. You're acting childish on this whole topic." I said.

She looked at me with a calmer look.

"You're right, Ben." she said. "I'm sorry."

After she said that, we sat there in silence for a while. Eventually, I noticed that it was 11:57.

"Hey. We should get back upstairs. We've only got three minutes left." Gwen said, as she got up.

"You go on ahead. I'm just going to stay down here." I said, as I waved her away.

"Okay." she said, as she began to walk away from me and towards the stairs.

She stopped about halfway from the stairs, before turning around and coming back to sit back down on the single person couch opposite of the couch I was sitting on. I looked at her and she just smiled at me. I knew she was staying with me, she didn't have to say anything.

We sat there in silence for the remaining time, until we heard everyone upstairs shouting Happy New Year. Then, Gwen did something that surprised me. As I sat there, minding my own business, she walked over to me and got on her knees in front of me. She gently took hold of my face and kissed me.

My eyes widened with surprise, and with her eyes being open, she saw it. I felt her smile against my lips, before continuing to kiss me. As surprised as I was, I never closed my eyes, and neither did she. She didn't slip her tongue into my mouth or anything. It was just a simple kiss on the lips. It lasted no more than five seconds or so.

She eventually pulled away and smiled at me.

"Happy New Year, Ben." she said, as she continued to smile at me.

That's when it hit me that she had kissed me at midnight. She had done that for me? She had no feelings for me. So, did she just do it to make me feel better? I dismissed the thoughts and smiled nonetheless.

"Thanks, Gwen." I said.

She kept smiling at me, and said nothing. We just sat there in silence together for what seemed like forever, before it was time for her to leave.

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for another chapter! I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. As a few of you should know from the Bride To Be author's note, I injured my hand and was typing one handed there for a while. And after my hand was better, I just forgot to update this story and I apologize.

* I know it seems that Ben and Gwen's relationship has gone up a little bit. But remember when I said this story is hurt/discomfort, as well as romance. If I have to describe their journey as cousins to ultimately a couple, I'd say it's a roller coaster.

* The next chapter is going to focus on one of the few downs in their relationship. Ultimately, their relationship will consist of multiple up and downs, before the last chapters, where the relationship will finally stabilize.

* That's all for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. Look out for the Bride To Be chapter that I'll release later on today. Anyway, I'm going to go though, so have a great day and bye.


	6. Chapter 5: Valentine's Day Nightmare

Chapter 5: Valentine's Day Disaster

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Okay, before I start I know that I've been inactive on this story for a _while_ lads. I get it. I understand that you probably wanted more if the story. But don't worry, because we back boys! And the story is completely finished now, and I'll be rolling out the remaining chapters over the next few weeks!

* Also, I'm going to add Review Responses at the end of this chapter. I know that this chapter looks long, but it's only because of how long the Review Responses section is. You don't have to read it all or at all, but if you want to see your review in there, then go ahead. If you reviewed as of September 11th, of this year, then it'll be down there.

* But anyway, welcome to Chapter Five and welcome back to the story!

 _Ben_

 _February_

 _Okay, question. Does anyone like Valentine's Day? Because I don't! I absolutely hate Valentine's Day! Okay, let me back up. I liked Valentine's Day. I did. It was fun sending anonymous messages to Julie to express my feelings to her before we got together. And it was occasionally fun to go out to dinner with her._

 _But that was before this Valentine's Day happened. And you're probably wondering what's so bad about it. Well, I'll tell you._

 _Valentine's Day_

 _Okay, so it's Valentine's Day. Former a favorite holiday, now a hated holiday of mine. We had the day off school and I was just chilling downstairs playing video games. And then Mom came down to talk to me._

"Ben?" she asked. "Honey?"

I paused my game to look at her.

"Yes, Mom?" I asked.

"You do know today is Valentine's Day, right?" she asked.

"Yes…" I said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Why?"

"Why aren't you out doing anything?" she asked.

"Mom, Julie broke up with me, remember?" I asked, as I turned back to my game.

"Hey, don't look away from me when we're having a conversation!" Mom said, as she stood in front of the T.V. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." I said.

"Ben, it's not good to bottle up your emotions." She said.

"I don't care." I said. "I just want to be left alone."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Mom, please!" I said. "Just go away. Leave me alone."

Mom let out a huff of disapproval, before she walked away from me.

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot." She said. "Ben?"

I turned to look at her, but didn't say anything.

"Your father and I are going out to dinner and staying at a hotel tonight." She said. "You'll have the house to yourself for an hour or two and then Gwen will be here to stay for a while. She'll make you dinner and you guys can play games, watch a movie or whatever."

I just looked at her, sort of offended.

"I don't need a babysitter, Mom!" I said.

She looked back at me with a confused expression.

"Gwen isn't going to be here to babysit you, Ben." She said. "She's going to be here to keep you company."

"No, you're lying." I said. "You don't think I can be trusted to be alone in the house, so you want to have someone that you can trust over to make sure I don't break anything."

"Ben Tennyson, I don't know where you got that idea." She said.

"You don't trust me." I repeated myself.

"Of course, I do." She said.

"If you trusted me, then you wouldn't have Gwen come over here." I said.

"Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, for the last time, I trust you." She said. "You're not changing my mind about having Gwen over here. That's final."

"Fine." I said.

Mom turned back around and went back up the stairs. I turned back to my game, heaving a frustrated sigh as I did.

 _A Couple Hours Later_

 _Okay, let me put this into a perspective. You eliminate the parents from the equation, add a hot girl who just so happens to be your cousin and then throw in raging teen hormones for good measure. What could go wrong? Well, if you can figure that out, then I think you can see why this night was a messed up one. Jiminy Christmas, may God help me._

Anyway, my parents had just walked out the door. I waved bye to them, like a good child, because apparently, I had the trust level of a child. Once they left, I sat down in the living room and watched T.V. for a bit. And then there was a knock at the door. Gwen had arrived.

Heaving a sigh, I got up from the living room couch and walked to the door. I unlocked it and opened the door, to see Gwen standing there. She was wearing normal sneakers, stockings, a skirt that went down to her knees and a dark red turtleneck sweater. She also had her hair pulled back into a pony tail.

"Before you can say anything, I don't need a babysitter Gwen." I said. "So why don't you just get out of here?"

An offended look appeared on her face after I said that.

"Whoa, easy there cowboy." She said, as she raised her hands in defense. "I'm not here to babysit you. We're just going to chill tonight, me and you, alright? We'll have fun, we'll watch a few movies, have dinner and maybe play a board game."

"Gwen, I'm just going to say it. This is a waste of your and my time." I said. "You should just leave."

Gwen shook her head.

"Nope, not sold." She said. "I'm coming in whether you let me or not, Ben."

"Fine, alright." I said, as she pushed past me and into the house.

I turned around to face her, as I closed the door behind me.

"So, what are we doing first?" I asked.

"I'll cook dinner first. We'll have spaghetti." She said. "Why don't you just go sit down and watch TV in the living room or something, okay?"

"What other choice do I have?" I whispered to myself, as she turned away from me.

I walked back into the living room and sat back down on the couch.

 _If I had to be honest, it was nice to have Gwen back here. If the events of tonight hadn't of happened, then who knows? Maybe I wouldn't be so bitter to her. I keep speaking in past tense and you're probably wondering what exactly happened. Well, we're getting closer to that, so don't worry._

 _One Hour Later_

So, we sat down to eat dinner. It was going well, until Gwen brought up why I was being so bitter with her. I had to tell her the truth. So, I told her it was because of the kiss we shared on New Year's Eve.

"Ben why are you being so bitter with me?" she asked.

I looked up from my plate.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"At the door, you told me that you didn't need a babysitter and that I should just go home." She said. "Why did you say that? Was it something I did?"

I had to be honest with her. I let out a sigh before I spoke.

"Yes. Yes, you did." I said.

"Well, what?" she asked. "What did I do?"

"You kissed me on New Year's Eve." I said.

She looked surprised and offended.

"Hey, you wanted that kiss!" she said. "And after I felt bad for you not getting what you wanted, I decided to kiss you."

"Yes, I know." I said. "And I thank you. It was just, awkward if nothing else. It leaves an awkward presence in the air when I'm around you now."

"Okay, I think I understand." Gwen said.

"Look. I'm sorry." I said. "I did appreciate that you kissed me. But like I said, I can't help but feel awkward whenever I'm around you."

"No, no, no. You don't have to explain anything." She said. "I understand."

 _We ate the rest of our dinner in silence. After we finished eating, seeing no other choice, I helped her clean the dishes. And this is where the trouble began. Have you ever accidentally touched a girl's hand and you two look at each other, and can sense something? Well, that's basically what happened for us._

I was washing my plate, along with the small plate that I kept my garlic bread on. Gwen did the same, washing both of her plates. I was done washing my plate with soap and I was ready to pass it to Gwen, so she could rinse it off. As I passed it to her and she took it, our hands touched.

We both looked up at each other, not taking our hands off of one another's hands. She stared at me and I stared at her. Our hands continued to touch uninterrupted. Eventually, after staring at her for several more seconds, I took my hand away from hers.

"Sorry." I said as I looked away.

As I started washing my other plate, I could sense that Gwen was staring at me. So, I looked a bit to my left. I was right. She was staring at me. But it wasn't an angry stare. She was just smirking at me as she continued to stare. After staring back at her for a few seconds, I worked up the nerve to speak.

"What?" I asked.

She just smiled, closed her eyes and said nothing, before turning back to the sink. I did the same and we got back to work.

 _Two Hours Later_

 _So, besides our hands touching, this would be the worst part of the night and it would inevitably lead to the thing that made me hate Valentine's Day. We watched a romantic comedy. A rom-com, whatever you want to call it, we watched one. If I could turn Gwen away and prevent this night from happening, well, maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn't._

 _Eventually, after the movie was over, we got to talking about stuff. Mainly why she had come over in the first place. We spoke for maybe five minutes, maybe less than that. Remember at the beginning when I told you about raging hormones getting thrown into the mix? Well, this is where those come into play._

"So, what did you think of the movie?" Gwen asked, as I reached for the T.V. remote.

"Meh." I said, as I turned off the TV. "Besides, you know that I don't like rom-coms."

"Oh, right." She said.

I put the TV remote back down and looked at her. She looked back and we were in silence for a good few minutes, just staring at each other. Eventually, I managed to break the awkward silence.

"So, why did you really come here, Gwen?" I asked.

She looked up at me.

"What?" she asked.

"I highly doubt that you told my Mom that you were coming over here." I said.

She just looked at me.

"Alright." She finally said. "I didn't come over here on my own accord. Apparently, your mom told my mom that I should come over tonight and keep you company, since you've been really mopey lately."

"What?" I asked.

"I know, I know. I know how it sounds, Ben. You probably don't need my company." She said. "You'd probably be fine all by yourself, but my mom really urged me to come be here with you. I couldn't say no. I hope you understand."

I just looked at her for a few seconds.

"No. I suppose I can understand. The nerve of our mothers." I said, chuckling as she drew her knees to her chest. "Besides, I can't lie and say that I didn't enjoy your company."

She smiled after I said that.

"Thanks, Ben." She said.

We were in silence for the rest of the time, it was nothing but quiet down in the basement now. Eventually after five minutes or so, we caught one another's eye. She began to stare at me and I began to stare at her. I don't even know what was going on anymore. Suddenly, a red blush appeared on her face, as she smiled.

"What?" I asked in a confused tone.

That's when the metaphorical gloves came off. As soon as I spoke to her, it happened. She closed her eyes, sort of chuckled to herself, and then lunged at me, as she pulled me into a kiss! She got her arms wrapped around me as she continued to kiss me and during all of this, I didn't close my eyes like she had, nor did I wrap my arms around her.

However, I eventually gave in and kissed her back. And after that, I put my arms around her, pulling her even closer to me. I closed my eyes at that point, as we continued to make out. I had no idea why we were doing this. Something had just clicked for her, I guess. Logic and instinct had gotten flung out the window, being replaced with raging teenage hormones.

We were just kissing. It was nothing more than a make out session. Or so I thought. After a few minutes of making out, Gwen pulled away from me, panting. She was obviously out of breath and so was I. That's when she said it.

"Ben. Your room. Now!" she said to me, as she struggled to catch her breath.

I stared at her, as she stared back at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. There was something else there, too. I'm pretty sure that there was lust in her eyes. She crashed her lips against mine again.

"Come on!" she grunted in between kisses, as she tried to pull me up.

I could already tell where this was going and for some reason, I did nothing to try to stop it.

 _Gwen_

 _Two Hours Later_

I laid next to Ben in his bed, being completely naked. And yes, before you ask, we did exactly what you thought we did. We had sex. But why?

 _Ugh, why had I done it? Why did I kiss him? Everything was fine until we went silent and then I thought about how handsome he looked! A girl shouldn't think that way about her cousin! Why did I throw myself at him? This was a mistake. Yeah, a mistake. I shouldn't have done this. He shouldn't have given in to me._

Speaking of Ben, he let out a breath as he rolled over onto his side, facing away from me. I looked over at him as he did. I think that he was asleep now.

 _I could slip out now and leave before morning, that way I won't have to face him tomorrow. I really don't want to talk with him about this._

So, I quietly and carefully moved out from under his covers. I quietly moved to the heap that my clothes laid in and scooped them up into my arms. I then tiptoed out of the room and to the bathroom to put my clothes back on. While I was in the bathroom, I stared at my self in the mirror, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

 _Once again, why did I have to sleep with him? What was going on with us?_

I let out a sigh, as I walked out of the bathroom, being fully clothed. I tiptoed back into his room and left a note that I had written for him on his nightstand. After that, I slipped back out of his room and walked back out towards the living room. As I opened the door and locked it behind me, before stepping out, I turned my head to the right a little bit.

"I'm sorry that this happened, Ben." I whispered, as I left the house, closing the door behind me.

 _Ben_

 _The Next Morning_

When I woke up the next morning, I was confused. I felt like something weird had happened the previous night. I sat up a little bit and looked to my right, to see that the right side of the bed was a mess, as if someone had been lying there. And that's when it hit me. I was pretty sure that Gwen and I had slept together last night. And if my memory served me correctly, we did _more_ than sleep together.

I sat up, groaning as I held my head. I didn't understand why I had a headache. Neither one of us had had alcohol last night. And besides, there was no alcohol in the house, so where would either of us had gotten some? I yanked the covers up a little bit and saw that I wasn't wearing any clothes or pajamas.

 _Yep, that must confirm it. Gwen and definitely banged last night. But why would we? It doesn't make sense! We're cousins!_

I sat up and flung my legs over the side of the bed, while keeping my lap covered by the covers. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to get out of bed or just get dressed and go back to sleep. That's when I noticed a piece of paper sitting on my nightstand. I picked it up and looked at it. It was a note from Gwen.

 _Ben,_

 _I'm sorry about last night. I have no idea what I was thinking. Last night was a mistake. We shouldn't have done what we did. I don't want to hear anything about this from you. We'll just pretend that it didn't happen, okay? Don't try to call me and don't try to talk to me at school either. I should throw in don't come by my house. And before you ask, no, I'm not pregnant. I'll take a morning after pill or something. Jesus, I can't believe I'm actually talking about this. Anyway, like I said. Don't call me, don't talk to me at school and don't come looking for me. I need some time to myself. This didn't happen. I'm sorry._

 _Gwen_

 _We shouldn't have let it happen? Then why did you throw yourself at me, Gwen? If you hadn't of done that, I guarantee that this wouldn't of happened._

I let out a sigh, as I fell backwards onto my bed, the note flying out of my hand.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" I asked myself with anger.

 _February_

 _After Valentine's Day_

 _Okay. Now you know. Now you know why I hate Valentine's Day. You could be wondering why I hate that happened, because isn't banging someone usually something that would "feel good"? Here's the short answer: It wasn't fun. It was awkward if not anything else. It left an awkward impression on the relationship between Gwen and I._

 _And if I have to be honest, we didn't really show affection to one another. We didn't kiss at all while "it" was happening and if I do recall, we didn't look at each other either. Like I said, it was just a big, awkward mess. And if I could go back and prevent it from happening, maybe I would. But like I said, that's why I hate Valentine's Day now. But that's where I'm going to finish narrating my life for now. I'll continue with the story when I feel like it._

 _Author's Note:_

* Before I say anything, I just want to bring up the fact that Stan Lee passed away today. Stan Lee was a huge inspiration to me and I love the universe that he's helped build with Marvel Comics. And I hope that he's in a better place now. Long live Stan The Man Lee!

* And there it is. The long awaited fifth chapter. As I said above, now that the story is finished, chapters will be rolling out over the next couple weeks. Probably every other day or every two or three days. Let me know what your opinion is on this, if you have one.

* I'm sorry if Ben's narration in these coming chapters is weird. It's just the way I write, him occasionally breaking the fourth wall, as he does. If you want to question it, go right ahead and if you don't want to question it, then that's fine, too. Either way, it most likely won't change.

* So, what did you think of this chapter? Do you think that Ben and Gwen are dealing with raging teenage hormones? Or do you think that it's love at this point? Does it make sense that Gwen want's to be left alone?

* And as I said above, I'm bringing Review Responses to this story and there's going to be a lot of them. I just want to catch up and feature all the reviews on this chapter, because I'd like to focus on current reviews from here on out. And if you don't like that I'm doing all the reviews in this closing, that's fine. You don't have to read it. Also, not that you need to care, I'm adding a "Next Chapter" section starting in this one.

* Anyway, I'm going to go, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _Phildev (Chapter One): I'm interested…_

Well, I'm glad you're interested. Thanks for your review.

 _jasongd (Chapter One): Very Interesting story congrats I'll be witing for next chapter BWEN Forever_

Thanks for your review, Jason. I'm glad that you think the story is interesting.

 _Commander Karr (Chapter One): Well done. Hard to see them getting off to such a rocky start. Hope things get better soon._

Thanks, Karr. I'm glad you think it's well done. Well, at the pace I was going, things weren't going to get better anytime soon. So that's why I finished the entire story before deciding to come back, because I wanted things to get better for them faster. It's only going to get rougher from here on out, save for the last few chapters. That's why I decided to do what I did.

 _Brian Johnson (Chapter One): more plz_

You can rest assured Brian, more will be coming soon.

 _Anonymous Rex (Chapter One): While I'm always up for more B/G, I'm also always up for some constructive criticism. First off: grammar was largely excellent; nothing systemic, at least. Only real problem is the lack of breaks between scene changes._

 _Biggest problem, I think, was story structure. I guess the most obvious thing is that it's a bit repetitive. We have Ben storm away twice, Gwen go to find him twice, arguments twice, etc., etc.. It seems a bit unnecessary. The other thing was pacing: it's very fast, although this (I think) is mainly an issue of exacerbation due to the lack of proper scene breaks. Last for story structure: why the big jump of seven years? If we are seeing the events of so long ago they must play a significant impact on the story (else we ought to start it at "seven years later") and I'm not totally convinced that they do. The main problem is that this doesn't seem particularly momentous; it is not very different from how Ben and Gwen usually interact, and I think you could work some more on why this is such a turning point._

 _Last of all is character writing. This, I think, is probably the weakest point, as it seems fairly inconsistent or plot-driven. That is: Ben and Gwen largely seem to react the way they do because that's how the plot advances. Does Gwen go a little far in her insult? Maybe. Far enough to really hurt Ben's feelings to the point of completely giving up on her? I'm not so convinced. As another example: it seems unlikely Ben would not be able to empathize with Gwen's position and see why'd she'd be mad at him. His logic for doing things just seems out of whack and inconsistent with the rest of his character as displayed. How can he be anything but emotionally underdeveloped to believe that pestering someone is the way to their heart, especially considering he is so self-aware of his actions and their purpose? It just doesn't add up._

 _So overall I think that while the writing is technically good several key issues of storytelling need to be worked on. Given that this is just a matter of persistence, however, I'm sure you can do it! Looking forward to reading more B/G from you!_

Okay, thank you for your review, Rex. Why is there a problem with my scene changes? I'm not sure that I follow you. If I've fixed it already or if it's still bad, please let me know. Okay, I admit that the first chapter was repetitive. Why the jump of seven years? Okay, you're right in that we ought to start at the "seven years later" point, because that's the way I originally intended for the story to start.

See, they were supposed to have had a fight before reuniting that Christmas Eve, but I'm sure that a few people would have wanted to see that fight. So, instead of showing the exact fight that they had, I decided to show that they have a history of fighting. That may not make sense, but it's just the way I decided to write the story.

About that being the usual way that they interact, well I am basing the younger versions of Ben and Gwen off of the ten-year-old versions from the original series. And the reason you feel like the interact in the way they do so that the plot can advance? Right again. They were acting in such a way so that the plot could advance, for the first chapter. Gwen did go too far with her insult, I admit. When going back and reading these chapters, I see some of the things that you bring up.

The OG versions of Ben and Gwen always did bicker, but never like this, so I have to give you that one. Once again, all of the stuff that was mentioned there was plot driven. Once again, thank you for the review and thanks for the criticism, it really makes me think.

 _travass99 (Chapter One): This I good so far_

Thank you for your review. I'm glad you think it's good.

 _Shelby Stipp (Chapter One): Please continue this story, I know that this is a phrase you probably hear a lot of, but I believe that you could do great things. I want to be here to see how this ends it is a great heart warming story that almost brought me to tears on the first chapter. I don't want to see this story die._

Yes, I do hear that a lot on some other stories, Shelby. Wow, you were almost brought to tears on the first chapter? I don't think anyone's ever told me that! But don't worry, the story is continuing, even if it did take a while. Thanks for the review, as well.

 _Josh Spicer (Chapter Two): Seems real enough. Awkward for the first day but nothing's the same._

Thank you for your review, Josh. "Seems real enough"? I have to ask what you mean by that. But as I tell all of the reviewers, thanks for the review.

 _Jasongd (Chapter Two): And another great chapter congrats I'll be witing for next chapter BWEN Forever_

Thanks Jason, glad you enjoyed the chapter.

 _Commander Karr (Chapter Two): A great chapter and an interesting development. Gwen sounded mad but she din't break the kiss right away…seemed to like it at first. I'll be very interested to see where you take this story next._

Thanks for the compliments, Karr. Yes, she was mad and no, she didn't like the kiss at first or at all. She was just overtaken by the shock of Ben kissing her, that she didn't pull away or react. You can still say that she liked it at first, but that's really what happened. Everyone has their right to an opinion and if you think she liked it at first, that's cool. As always, thanks for your review.

 _Anonymous Rex (Chapter Two): Good chapter but I'd cut the fourth wall stuff. Ben talking to readers through his thoughts is… weird. The narrative still seemed jumpy and inconsistent like I talked about in my last review but it was kinda sweet regardless._

Thanks for another review, Rex. I'm sorry that you think Ben talking to the readers in his narration is weird, but I'm not cutting it. I hope you can respect that, since it's just the way I write. I'm glad that you thought the chapter was sweet regardless, though. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Brian Johnson (Chapter Two): Good Keep it coming plz_

Thank you, Brian, more will be coming soon. Thanks for reviewing, as always.

 _Commander Karr (Update Chapter): My friend don't buy into the panic. was here before net "neutrality" and it will be here after._

Yeah, Karr. I suppose you're right. The whole net neutrality "crisis" has basically come and gone at this point, I feel like. Fanfiction will be here before and after it, you are right. I'm sorry that this chapter wasn't a real chapter, I was just worried about the state of the internet at that point in time. Thank you for your review regardless though.

 _Andromeda20001 (Chapter Two): An interesting story. Hopefully, the next chapter will come soon, because I'm very excited about how it's going to continue. Andromeda_

Thank you for your review, Andromeda. I'm glad that you think my story is interesting. More chapters will be coming soon, so keep an eye out. Thanks again for your review, as always.

 _Guest (Update Chapter): It's highly unlikely that net neutrality is going to be officially repealed since either courts or congress are going to do something my friend the whole process was just corrupted in my opinion so you should let your voice be heard my friend and immedialty contact your state representative_

Thanks, we got the whole net neutrality thing down. But in terms of your opinion, I have to agree. I do think that it was corrupt. Once again, sorry that this wasn't a real chapter, but thanks for reviewing nonetheless.

 _Pratham Mhatre (Chapter One): Please release another chapter fast_

Thank you Pratham, more chapters are coming soon. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Josh Spicer (Chapter Three): I'm just nodding in approval at Gwen's admittedly random intimacy._

Aren't we all, Josh? Lol, thanks for your review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter Three): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks for your review as always, Jason.

 _Commander Karr (Chapter Three): Great chapter. A more believable reaction than you usually see in Bwen stories but it's clear that Gwen isn't so quite repulsed as she at first seemed to be. And her obvious set up to lay with him was great. Now I'm waiting to find out what answer she's looking for. Keep up the great work._

Thanks for another review, Karr. I'm glad that you think the reaction is believable. It may take a while for Gwen to find the answer that she's looking for, but I promise that once the time comes, all of this will be worth it. Thanks for your compliments and always, thanks for the review.

 _Meazm (Chapter Four): This is nice._

Thanks for the review, Meazm and I'm glad that you thought it was nice. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _csgt (Chapter One): Ouch, very sad fight between them. I believe you're "breaking it down" to "build it up" later, though, and I'll keep reading to know how things will turn out!_

Thanks for the review, csgt. Yes, it was a sad fight. Most of the chapters are going to be building up for their relationship in all honesty. I'm glad you'll be sticking around to see this story out. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _csgt (Chapter Two): I liked that Gwen wasn't holding a grudge against Ben. Ben kissing her was a bold move. I'm not sure if she liked it and is in denial or if things will get awkward. Nice chapter!_

Thanks for the review, csgt. Well, we saw how that played out and it ended awkwardly. Thanks for the nice words and as always, thanks for the review.

 _csgt (Chapter Three): I'm not sure what Gwen wants an answer to. I mean, Ben kissed her and admitted that she's beautiful, so it's kinda obvious he has a crush. Maybe she wants to know if it's serious or hormones? Not sure._

 _When Ben said he had a girlfriend, does he really has one? Are we going to see Ben's GF in the story too? I really like the potential for drama with this. I'm glad it's not just hurt and discomfort, and we actually got some tender moments between Ben and Gwen. Good job!_

Thanks for the review, csgt. Gwen basically did want to know if it was hormones or something else. Although Ben did potentially have a crush in that chapter, it was a phase and after what happened in this chapter, it's just nothing but awkward between the two of them.

Yes, we already saw that Ben _had_ a girlfriend. Although I do see where you are going with the idea of drama, it probably won't happen. The story has been fully written and there most likely will be no edits. So, the idea of Ben's ex-girlfriend causing drama for Ben and Gwen has been left on the cutting room floor as they say. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _DEV LOHERA (Chapter Three): great story_

Thanks for the review, DEV. I'm glad you like the story. As always, thanks for the review.

 _Guest (Chapter Three): Why are they staying the night if they can walk to their house to get stuff to stay the night?_

Listen, it's just part of the plot. I needed a filler portion for this chapter and that's just what I came up with. Although I do appreciate the review, I must say that I'm… confused, to say the least. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Guest (Chapter Three): 1: I'm glad you updated this stroy. 2: Bwen Fanfics are really sweet to read bc it feels like they are made for each other. 3: i like how you are building up their Eventual Relationship. 4: Keep up the good work I'll continue to read this._

Thanks for your review. I'm glad you like this story. I knew that I couldn't have been the only one who thought that Ben and Gwen were made for each other. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Cadelorbe12 (Chapter Three): *HNNNNGGGGG-ded*_

Um, no comment. As always, thanks for the review, though.

 _Cadelorbe12 (Chapter Three)(Again): I love it. ;D_

Oh, okay. I think I see what you did there. Thanks for the reviews, as always.

 _Guest (Chapter Three): Still waiting for an update_

Oh, they're coming, I promise. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _csgt (Chapter Four): I liked the New Year's kiss moment and I'm looking forward to see Ben and Gwen attending the same school. Good job!_

Thanks for your review as always, csgt. I'm glad you liked the kiss and that you are looking forward to Ben and Gwen attending the same school. As always, thanks for the review.

 _Meazm (Chapter Four): Sweet_

Thanks for the review, Meazm. I'm glad that you thought it was sweet. As always, thanks for the review.

 _Cadelorbe12 (Chapter Four): HNNNNNNNGGGGGggggded*_

As always Cade, thanks for the review.

 _jasongd (Chapter Four): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks for another review, Jason. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and as always, thanks for the review.

 _Commander Karr (Chapter Four): Interesting, it seems that she's still angry but then kisses him at midnight. I have to wonder what question she was trying to answer when she slept with him…and what the answer was. Yet again, very well done my friend._

Thanks for another review, Karr. She kissed him because she felt bad for him about his breakup. There was no love displayed there and had nothing to do with how angry she was. And when she slept with Ben, the question that she wanted an answer to was if her feelings for Ben were real or if they were just hormonal. And she doesn't think that those feelings are real yet. As always, thanks for the review.

 _Brian Johnson (Chapter Four): Great Story so far looking forward to more._

Thanks for the review, Brian. I'm flattered to say the least that you think that this is a great story. Many say otherwise. As always, thanks for the review.

 _Blindmaster (Chapter Four): Snif snif great chap man, a kiss in new year, very cool_

Thanks for the review, Blindmaster. Is it really that cool? As always, thanks for the review.

 _zaidhannan5 (Chapter One): Hottest_

Um, thanks? I'm glad that you think the story is the hottest, but I feel inclined to disagree. As always, thanks for the review nonetheless.

 _Bonus Author's Note:_

* Jesus, typing all of that took a lot longer than it should have. If you read all of that, then that's just amazing. Anyway, these won't be as long anymore.

Next Chapter: Gwen and Ben reunite at the Tennyson's Family Easter Dinner. Ben confronts Gwen about what happened on Valentine's Day.


	7. Chapter 6: Easter Arguments

Chapter 6: Easter Arguments

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Six!

* Before I say anything, I just want to say that I won't be posting chapters for this story every day, regardless of what you want of it. It'd just be too fast for me and I feel as though that I wouldn't get a lot of reviews for Review Responses and they mean a lot to me, so there you go.

* In this chapter, as I said last chapter, Ben and Gwen reunite and Ben confronts Gwen. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, but anyway, let's get into it!

 _Ben_

 _April_

 _The next time I would see her would be on Easter Sunday, which was at the end of March this year. We had seen each other hardly at all since the erm, incident. Sure, we saw each other at school every day, but we never talked to each other. And she never tried to contact me. I had taken her note seriously._

 _And when Mom told me that Gwen, along with her parents and brother were going to be over on Easter for dinner, along with Grandpa Max and a few of my friends, I had a bit of a "Aw, fuck moment", you know what I mean? I mean, I acted happy, why wouldn't I? But deep down, I was nervous as hell._

 _It's been almost two months, so I'm just going to come out and say it: Gwen and I fucked. Did I enjoy it? No, why would I? She was my cousin and the fact that we did do it was wrong. It was wrong. Anytime I thought about it, it was just awkward. And I'll admit that this day wouldn't be a happy one for either of us._

 _Easter Sunday_

 _Ben,_

 _I'm sorry about last night. I have no idea what I was thinking. Last night was a mistake. We shouldn't have done what we did. I don't want to hear anything about this from you. We'll just pretend that it didn't happen, okay? Don't try to call me and don't try to talk to me at school either. I should throw in don't come by my house. And before you ask, no, I'm not pregnant. I'll take a morning after pill or something. Jesus, I can't believe I'm actually talking about this. Anyway, like I said. Don't call me, don't talk to me at school and don't come looking for me. I need some time to myself. This didn't happen. I'm sorry._

 _Gwen_

I stared down at the note, reading it for probably the thousandth time. Just then, I heard Mom's voice.

"Ben, your friends are here!" she called to me.

 _Jesus,_ I thought, as I crumbled up Gwen's note, _again_. _At least it's not Gwen yet._

I threw the note across the bedroom and it landed underneath my dresser.

"I'll be right there, Mom!" I called, as I got up and walked out of the bedroom.

I walked out into the living room and to the door, preparing myself to open it.

 _Okay, look like you're happy to see them. You are happy to see them! The main thing is to look happy. Look like you aren't in a fucked up state of mind right now. But most importantly, don't give away any sign that could tell them that you fucked your cousin!_

"Jesus Christ, this is going to be good." I said, as I grabbed the door knob.

I put a smile on my face and did my best to appear excited, before I threw the door open.

"Hey, guys!" I exclaimed with excitement. "Hey Kevin, J.T., Cash! Happy Easter!"

"Same to you, my man." Kevin said, stepping in as we high fived one another.

"How have you guys been?" I asked, as I looked at J.T. and Cash.

"Oh, we've been pretty good." Cash said, as he looked at me. "J.T. here is gunning for the world record in Pac-Man!"

"Shut up, man." J.T. replied.

"Pac-Man?" I asked. "What, the Atari game?"

"Pac-Man wasn't made by Atari!" Cash said as he laughed. "Don't you know anything about video games?"

"Um, excuse me, Cash." I said. "I'm a Halo and Call of Duty player. And occasionally a Fallout player. I don't have time for those dumb retro games."

"You shall never express disrespect when talking about our Lord and Savior, Pac-Man!" J.T. exclaimed.

Cash and Kevin began laughing, as did I. Once we stopped laughing, I looked at him.

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be an insult?" I asked.

"Um, maybe?" he asked.

"Okay, okay." I said, as I put my hands up. "We're all here on good terms, let's not mess that up."

"Good idea." Kevin said. "Look, why are we here?"

"Celebrating Easter? The resurrection of Jesus Chris?" I asked, as I shrugged my shoulders.

Kevin let out an annoyed sigh.

"Ugh, besides that?" he asked.

I shook my head with confusion. Kevin smacked himself with annoyance.

"We were all going to play baseball, remember?" he asked.

"Oh, right." I said. "Well, let's go out to the backyard then."

 _We had a decently sized backyard, which connected into a small wooded area. Kevin had a house a ways away from me and he had a small backyard with a huge, open wooded area in his backyard. Remember that, because it'll come back later in my story._

"Hi, boys." Mom said, walking into the room. "Gwen, Ken and their parents will be here in about half an hour, honey!"

My face flushed at the mention of Gwen. I had to cover it up with something else.

"Mom, don't call me honey!" I said, as I looked to the right.

Kevin, J.T. and Cash just chuckled.

"Come on, lads." Kevin said, as he walked towards the back door. "Let's head outside."

 _Half An Hour Later_

 _So, Kevin and I were one team, while J.T. and Cash were another team. We weren't really playing competitively, it was just a casual game. This was about the time that Gwen, Ken and their parents arrived. It was about to get awkward._

Our backyard wasn't the perfect shape of a diamond to be playing baseball, but it was pretty close. Anyway, it was J.T. and Cash's turn up at home plate. Kevin had thrown the ball J.T.'s way and he hit it with his bat, sending it flying in my direction.

"I got it, I got it!" I exclaimed, as I ran off in the direction that the ball was taking.

When I turned in the direction that the ball was heading in, I saw her. It was Gwen. She was walked with Ken and her parents through the side gate. She was beautiful. She was just as beautiful as she always was.

 _Wait, hold the phone. I'm thinking about Gwen being beautiful. Do I not realize what happened on Valentine's Day? We fucked! Why am I having these thoughts, when I shouldn't be having them?!_

The baseball sailed over my head and landed right at Gwen's feet.

"I thought you said you got it, idiot?" J.T. asked.

I turned around to look at them.

"Oh, come off it!" I exclaimed, as I pointed at them.

They all started laughing, but it seemed as though they weren't laughing at me. Then it happened.

"Ahh!" I exclaimed, as I was struck in the back of the head by something.

I fell to the ground, as all of my friends laughed, Ken included. I brought my head up and out of the grass, as I looked at the three of them, with a scowl on my face. I gripped the football that Ken used to throw at me, which laid right next to me and got up with it in my hand. I turned to face them.

"Here's your football back, jerk!" I said, throwing it at him.

He just smirked at me, as he caught it with one hand.

"Thanks." He said as they got closer.

"Gwen, your father and I are going in to say hello to Ben's Mom and Dad." Aunt Natalie said to her. "You and Ken can stay out here to catch up with Ben."

Gwen looked at Aunt Natalie, with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Mom, I don't want to stay out here!" she said.

"Gwendolyn Tennyson! What is wrong with you today?" she asked. "You didn't want to come to Easter dinner and you now you don't want to stay out here?"

"I just…" Gwen began to speak but was interrupted.

"No. You are staying out here and that is final." She said, as she walked towards the house with her dad.

I smirked, as I crossed my arms over my chest. Ken walked away from Gwen and towards Kevin, J.T. and Cash, and began talking to them. As he did that, I looked at Gwen, who looked back at me with an angered gaze. I walked up to her and was about to speak, when she beat me too it.

"Stop." She said.

My smirk disappeared from my face.

"Before you say anything, I didn't want to come here." She said. "And I didn't want to talk to you."

I smirked again, as I crossed my arms once more.

"Yeah, I'm not so thrilled to see you, _either_." I said.

We just stared at each other after that, before she spoke again.

"Ben, I'm just going to say it, okay? This is awkward as hell and we both know it." She said. "We should just acknowledge it and move on."

"I hear you, Gwendy." I said, as I pointed at my ear. "I don't want to make this awkward."

She looked at me with an angry gaze.

"Did you just call me "Gwendy"?" she asked.

I looked down at my hand, rubbing two of my fingers together, shaking off a few specks of dirt off.

"Maybe I did." I said.

"Don't ever call me that." She said. "So, are we cool, then?"

"Yeah. I already told you that I don't want to make this awkward." I said. "We're cool."

"Okay, thank you." Gwen said.

"Are you two going to make out now?" I heard Ken ask in a smug tone from behind me.

My face flushed when I heard his voice. Eventually, the color returned to my face and I turned to look at Ken, Kevin, J.T. and Cash who stood no less than a few feet from us.

 _Had they heard everything that we had said to each other?_

I had to respond in some way to avoid suspicion.

"Oh, we're _totally_ going to make out!" I said in a higher pitched, feminine voice.

I heard Gwen smack herself from behind me, as my friends burst out laughing. After a few moments of silence, Gwen spoke.

"Well actually, I'm going to go inside. See if they need any help with dinner." She said, as she spun her index fingers around each other. "So, you know, see ya."

She walked past us towards the house. I stepped forward and called out to her.

"Wait! Can't we talk?" I called.

"No." Gwen said, as she kept walking.

"Alright." I said. "Uh, see you later, I guess."

"See ya!" Gwen said, as she threw up her arms as she continued walking.

Once she was gone, Ken stepped up to me.

"Hey, Ben." He said.

"Yeah, what's up, pal?" I asked, turning to face him.

"So, why do you need to talk to my sister so bad?" he asked.

"No reason." I answered immediately.

He just looked at me with a skeptical look.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, really!" I said. "What, a guy can't talk to the cousin that he hasn't seen in two months?"

He just looked at me, before turning around and walking away.

 _Phew, that was close,_ I thought, as I rubbed my forehead.

I stood there for a few seconds, before I realized what we had been doing.

"Hey, guys! Let's keep playing baseball!" I said. "Ken's here now, so he can be on J.T. and Cash's team. Trust me, they'll need an extra guy!"

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Cretin." Cash replied, as I walked back over to them.

 _One Hour Later_

 _The guys and I kept playing baseball for about a half hour or forty five minutes, give or take. Around that time, Gwen came outside to announce that dinner was ready. We all went inside, washed up and ate dinner, which took around half an hour. After that, we all went back outside._

 _We had one of those big swings that sat pretty close to the house and all of us were either sitting on it or hanging out in the vicinity. As much as I hate to say it, Gwen and I sat next to each other on the swing, while Kevin sat on the other side of me. Ken stood leaning against the swings frame, while J.T. and Cash sat on the ground._

I eventually broke the silence and spoke.

"So, anyone want to do something?" I asked.

Gwen just grunted next to me, while everyone else stayed silent. After a few seconds, much to our surprise, Ken ran from his spot and stopped in front of us.

"Oh, I got an idea!" he said. "There's six of us!"

"Wow, that's one more than five!" Kevin said. "Good job, Ken!"

Ken smacked himself in the face, before shaking his head.

"No, I mean there's six of us!" he said. "For even teams!"

I shook my head with confusion.

"I don't follow." I said.

"Even teams! For football!" Ken said. "We should play tackle football!"

"Um, no." I said. "I don't like tackle football, you know that."

"Oh, come on!" he said. "You can lead one team and Gwen can lead the opposite team!"

My face flushed after Ken said that. Now I had the image of Gwen tackling me or vice versa stuck in my head.

"No!" Gwen and I exclaimed in unison, before looking at each other, each of us having a blush on their face.

"Shut up!" we both said in unison, once again.

"Jesus, what is with you two today?" Ken said. "All you two do is fight! And you're fighting like you two are eleven again!"

I straightened up a bit, trying not to think about Gwen.

"Look, we just don't want to play football." I said. "I don't like tackle football and besides! Gwen's a girl! She doesn't like sports!"

Gwen let out a grumble of anger.

"What he said." She said through gritted teeth.

"You know what? Fine." Ken said, as he walked over to the middle of the yard and picked up his football from where he had left it. "Kevin, J.T., Cash and I will play football by ourselves. Come on guys, let's just let the sissies play patty cake with each other!"

I blushed as Ken walked away, while Kevin, J.T. and Cash followed. Gwen looked at me.

"Shut up." She said.

"Hey, my lips are sealed." I said.

"They better stay that way." Gwen said, as she looked away from me.

 _What's her problem?_ I thought. _I'm trying to be nice to her when I can, but she treats me like shit in return! What'd I do?_

It ended up being Kevin and Ken vs J.T. and Cash. Not that we cared. After about ten minutes of watching them play, Gwen got up and started walking away from the swing.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked.

"I want to walk around for a while." She said. "Don't wait up."

As she walked away from the swing, I got up and followed after her. She noticed immediately that I was following her. She turned around to face me.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Um, it's my yard, too?" I asked. "Maybe I want to walk around, too."

She didn't say anything.

"I'll uh, just pace around back there by the side gate." I said, pointing over to the general direction.

"Sure, whatever." Gwen said, as she turned back to the direction that she was walking in.

I walked away from her and down towards the side gate. I began pacing back and forth, trying to think about what I was going to do about the Valentine's Day situation.

 _Fifteen Minutes Later_

 _See, every conflict that people have, eventually it has to be confronted. And this was that point of time where I decided that I needed to confront Gwen about what happened on Valentine's Day and what was going through her head. And it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation._

I paced back and forth, as I continued to think. Gwen wasn't even paying attention to me anymore. She was standing six or so feet away from me, continuing to watch the guys play football. I had reached the point where I physically couldn't take it anymore. I demanded an explanation and I would get one.

I walked up behind Gwen and grabbed her forearm, scaring her in the process.

"What are you doing?!" she said, as she turned to face me.

"Come with me." I said, as I dragged her towards the side of the house.

"No, Ben!" she said, trying to pull away from me. "Let go of me, Ben! No, Ben!"

I ignored her as I dragged her around to the side of the house, out of the view of the guys. Once we were out of sight, I let go of her forearm and didn't even wait for her to speak.

"What the fuck happened on Valentine's Day?!" I asked her.

Her eyes darted back and forth, avoiding looking at me.

"I don't know what happened on Valentine's Day!" she said. "What happened on Valentine's Day?"

I just looked at her.

"I…I don't know!" I said.

We just stared at each other after that, not saying anything.

"Okay, seriously…" I spoke, but Gwen cut me off.

"No." she said.

"Gwen, please…" I said, only to get interrupted again.

"No." Gwen said, as she chuckled a little bit.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I asked.

"Maybe." She said.

"Gwen, will you please just let me talk?" I asked.

Gwen said nothing, so I took my chance.

"We both know what happened that night, Gwen." I said. "I just want to know why."

"No." Gwen said, shaking her head. "I believe that I made myself quite clear. I believe I told you that I didn't want to hear anything about it from you, that it never happened?"

"Um, you did." I said. "But I'd like an answer. Why did you do what you did?"

Gwen smacked herself in the face. She removed her hand from her face and gave me a look of anger.

"You're not listening." She said. "And we're not talking about this. I'm leaving now."

"Now wait a minute." I said, as I got in front of her and put my hands on her shoulders. "I'm not letting you leave until I get an answer!"

I gently pushed her back a foot or so.

"Just give me an answer, Gwen." I said. "Please."

She shook her head.

"No." she said. "Just leave me alone."

"Gwen, please…" I spoke but was interrupted.

"Ben, you're not listening." She said. "Earlier, when I told you that this was awkward and we both you it, you said that we were cool. And I thought you meant it."

"I did mean it!" I said. "There's no hard feelings between us Gwen, I don't want there to be. I want…"

"No Ben, that's not what I meant." She said. "I meant that hopefully you wouldn't try to bring it up. No talking about it. I guess I was wrong."

"Gwen, with all due respect, how do we not talk about it?" I asked. "It has to be confronted. Do really expect that we go the rest of our lives, never speaking about it and ultimately avoiding one another? How do you think that would go?"

"I already told you, we're not talking about this." She said.

"Gwen, I already told you that I just want an answer." I said. "So please, just tell me and I'll leave you alone."

She looked at me for a few seconds, before shaking her head.

"No." she said.

"Gwen, we just have to acknowledge it." I said. "You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to take your hand, walk with you as if we're actually friends. "Gwen be my friend". Isn't that what you want?"

She just looked at me once more.

"Ben, no. You don't understand." She said. "We can't just acknowledge it and move on. We both know that it happened. I just want to forget that it happened and go the rest of my life just not talking to you about it."

She tried to walk past me again. I got in front of her again, blocking her path and causing her to stop in her path. She gave me a look of anger, as well as looking as though I offended her.

"Gwen, please." I said. "Will you just answer my question?"

She let out a grumble of anger.

"Fine." She said. "What's your question?"

"Why did you throw yourself at me that night?" I asked. "Why did you tackle me onto the couch and start kissing me like that?"

She blushed immediately, and a look of anger came back onto her face. She stepped up to me, grabbed hold of me and pinched down on my cheek, causing me to gasp in pain.

"If you think that I actually wanted that to happen, then you're wrong!" she hissed at me with anger. "I didn't want that night to happen!"

"Then why did you throw yourself at me?!" I asked.

"We're done talking about this." She said, as she let go of me and turned around. "I better not hear anymore about this from you."

And with that, she stormed away from me. I watched as she walked away, rubbing the now red spot on my cheek.

"Thanks." I whispered to myself.

 _One Hour Later_

 _I'll admit that talk between us was rough. But we would make up, sort of. After that disaster, I decided to go inside for a while. After about fifteen or twenty minutes, the guys came to my room to see what was up with me. And so, we had been talking ever since._

"So, Ben, what are we going to do for our project in English class?" J.T. asked.

"I don't know." I said. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're usually on top of things in all of the projects that you, Cash and I are assigned to." He said. "What's been up with you lately?"

"I've… I've just been dealing with some stuff lately, that's all." I said.

"Really?" Cash asked. "What kind of stuff?"

"I really don't want to talk about it." I said.

"No, you have to tell us!" Kevin exclaimed, as he lightly elbowed me. "Come on, what's going on?"

"Come on guys, stop pestering him." Ken said. "If he wants to be left alone, then leave him… Oh, what's this?"

"What's what? I don't know what you're…" I turned my head to look at him but stopped talking when I saw what was in his hand.

It was the crumbled up note that Gwen left for me on Valentine's Day.

"Oh, no!" I said, as I dove off my bed, only to hit my head against my dresser. "Ow!"

I stood up to face Ken.

"Give that to me!" I said, as I reached for it.

Ken yanked it out of reach.

"Sure." He said. "Just tell me what it is."

"It's important!" I said. "Just give it back!"

"What's so important about it?" Ken asked.

"Just give it back!" I repeated, as I tried to reach for it once more.

Ken sidestepped, moving out of the way and moving the crumbled up note from my reach again.

"Oh, I get it." Ken said. "It's a dirty picture, isn't it?"

Kevin, J.T. and Cash began laughing after Ken said that.

"Yeah!" Kevin said. "Have you been looking at Anime girls, Ben?"

"Shut up!" I exclaimed, as I tried once more to grab the crumbled up piece of paper.

"Nah, man." J.T. said. "He's got to be printing off pictures from porn videos."

"Shut up!" I repeated, in a louder tone this time.

"Hey!" a voice said.

We all turned in the direction of the voice to see Gwen standing in the doorway.

"He told you to give it back to him, so give it back!" she said, as she walked into the room with us.

She took the crumbled up piece of paper from Ken and backed away.

"You know what? All of you, out. All of you!" she said, as she went around the room corralling all of my friends and Ken as well out the door. "Stay out!"

Gwen closed the door after that and locked it behind her. Gwen turned around, put her back to the door and took a breath. She then looked at me and walked over to me, stopping at the foot of the bed. She held out the hand that the crumbled up piece of paper was in. I cautiously took it from her.

"Thanks." I said, as I sat down on the bed.

After a few seconds, she came over to sit on the bed next to me.

"Okay, 'fess up." She said. "There must have been a reason why you didn't want him to see that paper. Why?"

I turned my head to look at her, trying to decide what to say.

"You don't want to know." I finally said.

She nodded.

"Yes, I do." She said.

I just looked at her, not knowing what to say.

"Ben." She said after a few seconds, using an annoyed tone.

I let out a sigh, as I looked down at the floor.

"Fine." I said, looking back up at her. "It's the note that you left for me that night."

Her face flushed after I said that.

"Don't believe me?" I asked, as I began to un-crumble it. "See for yourself."

"No, I believe you." She said. "Why the hell did you keep that, anyway?"

"Because it helps me think about what the hell happened that night." I said, as I looked back down at the floor.

"Oh." She said, as she looked away from me.

We sat in silence after that. Eventually, after several seconds of awkward silence, Gwen spoke.

"I did it because I found you to be handsome for a split second." She said.

I turned to look at her.

"What?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes.

"I kissed you because for a split second, I found you to be handsome." She said. "And from there, I was just following my instincts. Call it hormones or whatever, but that's what happened."

We sat in silence after that, too. After a few seconds, I spoke.

"Well, I'm glad I finally got an answer." I said.

"You'd better be." She replied.

We sat there in silence for a couple minutes after that. Eventually, I worked up the courage to say something that I thought would be funny.

"So, uh, wanna make out?" I asked.

Gwen angrily whipped her head around to face me.

"What did you just say?!" she asked with an angry look on her face.

I just stared back at her, with a grin on my face. I eventually reached out and pinched down onto her cheek.

"I'm just kidding!" I said.

She smacked my hand away and began rubbing her cheek, as she got up from the bed.

"Not funny." She said, as she walked to my door and unlocked it.

She opened the door and left without another word to me.

 _That was also the last time that I would see her for a while. To be honest, the next time that I'd see her, interactions wouldn't be so bad. Sure, things would still be bad, but it would be me and not her. I don't really know what else to say, so I'm going to end my story here for now._

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for this chapter! What did you guys think?

* As I said last time, Review Responses won't be so long this time around. What do you think of the awkward tensions between Gwen after the incident on Valentine's Day? Is her avoiding him and refusing to talk about it understandable? Or should they try talking about and confronting it, as Ben wanted to?

* But anyways, that's going do it for me. Tune in for the next chapter soon. I'm going to go though, so have a great day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _BobaFett 66 (Chapter Five): Please do a full lemon next time_

Thanks for the review, Boba. I most likely will not do a full lemon, sorry. I've mentioned before that I don't like doing lemons, just writing them makes me feel awkward. And going back and reading my stories and coming across those scenes would just be awkward for me to read.

You'll be lucky to get a suggestive scene from me and even luckier if I actually write a lemon. I don't expect you to understand where I'm coming from with this, but yeah, there you go. I will most likely never write a lemon and if I ever did, it would be rare, so sorry. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Daniel6 (Chapter Five): Looking forward to your next chapter._

Thank you, Daniel. I'm glad to hear that you were looking forward to this chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Josh Spicer (Chapter Five): At this point it's sure as shit not love, as much as I (and Ben probably) want it to be. And what do I mean by "real enough"? I'd rather not answer._

Thanks for the review, Josh. Yes, it's definitely not love and Ben doesn't want it to be love, at least not at this point. And hey, that's cool man. You don't have to answer, no one's going to force you to. I was just curious. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter Five): And another great chapter congrats And this isn't love, at least not yet but I realy hope it will be soon very soon BWEN Forever_

Thanks for the review, Jason. You're right, it's not love yet. You're probably not the only one who wants them to be together soon, but it'll be a while, but it's not going to be that long, I promise. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter Five): Wow! What a chapter. Of course it happened because they're in love. Hope you don't keep us waiting too long for them to work this out. I'll be anxiously waiting._

Thanks for the review, Car. I'm glad you thought it was a good chapter. "It happened because they're in love". I think that you're the first person to have said that. No, it's not love yet. It shouldn't take long. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Gwen hurts Ben in the worst way possible. But is everything really as it seems?


	8. Chapter 7: Nightmares

Chapter 7: Nightmares

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Seven! I'm not even going to say anything, so let's get right into the chapter!

 _April_

 _A Couple Weeks Later_

 _Ben_

 _Quick! What's the worst nightmare you've ever had? Does it involve a girl or any one of any significant interest? Okay, enough of the confusing statements. This is the next point of my story, which would become known as possibly the worst night of my life. And I bet that you thought that title went to Valentine's Day? Well, it's competition in the least._

 _Anyway, one of the worst nights of my life indefinitely. I really hate thinking about this, so let's just get this over with._

I had just gotten done with eating breakfast and was about to head out to walk to school. I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where Mom sat.

"Are you heading to school, Ben?" she asked.

I gave her pleading look.

"Can I stay home today?" I asked.

Mom raised her eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked.

"I…I just have a bad feeling." I said.

"A bad feeling?" Mom repeated.

I nodded.

"Would you care to elaborate on that, Ben?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"I don't know." I said. "I just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen today."

She just looked at me.

"Hmm." She said. "Well bad feeling or not, you're going to school today. Sorry, Ben."

I sighed.

 _Whatever_ , I thought as I walked out the front door.

 _Gwen_

"Now tell me again, Gwen. Who is this guy that you like?" my friend Emily asked.

I blushed.

"He's just… a guy." I said.

"Oh, I get it." Emily said. "You don't want to say who he is."

"Emily, please." I said. "I'm being serious here. How do I hint to him that I like him?"

"Oh, by all means, I'm serious, too." She said. "Hold on, let me think."

Emily stood in her place next to her locker, with her finger on her chin. Her eyes eventually lit up and she looked at me.

"Ooo, I got it!" she said.

"Let me hear it." I said.

"Okay, here's what you should do. You should invite him on a date and towards the end of the date, you should kiss him or do something to express your caring." Emily said. "And then at the end of the date, do the exact opposite. Tell him that it was all just a fluke. Tell him that you never really cared about him."

I looked at Emily with surprise.

"Um, what?" I asked. "How could that possibly help?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm talking about!" she said. "If you just do that, he'll be crawling all over you! He'll want nothing else but to be with you!"

"Emily, I think he'd be the exact _opposite_ of that." I said.

"No, you have to listen. He'll be all over you, Gwen!" she said.

"Emily, I'm not sure about this." I said.

"You want my advice?" she asked. "That's what you should do."

Just then, the bell rang, signaling that we had a minute until class started.

Emily looked back at me, as she began to walk away.

"That's what I would do." She said. "Good luck! Call me and tell me how it goes!"

I watched her go until she disappeared into the crowd of other students. I looked down at the floor.

"Jesus, why would I do this?" I asked myself, as I walked to class.

 _Ben_

 _Later_

I let out a sigh, as I opened my locker. I sat my backpack down in front of the locker and opened it, too. I began to take out textbook after textbook to put them on the shelf in my locker. I heard footsteps approach and stop once they reached me. I turned to my right to see Gwen standing there.

"Hey, what's up, Gwen?" I asked, as I turned back to my locker.

"Hi, Ben!" she said in a cheery tone.

"So, what brings you here today?" I asked, as I kept putting textbooks in my locker.

"Do you want to go see a movie after school today?" she asked.

I looked back at her, giving her a strange look.

"Why?" I asked.

"No reason." Gwen said. "It's just that we haven't hung out that much lately."

"You want to go to the movies?" I asked. "Like we're on a _date_?"

Gwen made a face.

"Yeah, but just like without the _date_ part." She said.

"Um, okay." I said. "But I have to ask again. Why?"

"What, you don't want to just hang out for once?" she asked.

"Well Gwen, we never _just_ hang out." I said. "And I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"You're not sure how you feel about what?" Gwen asked.

"I woke up with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach today, Gwen." I said. "Do you ever have days like that? Where you feel like anything could and would go wrong at any moment?"

She shrugged.

"I guess." She replied. "Are we going to go or not? I pick the movie and pay for the tickets, you pay for snacks."

"I don't know." I repeated.

"Oh, come on, Ben." She said. "What's so bad about it? What gives you a bad feeling?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know." I said. "I just have that feeling."

"Okay, how's this: You do this, go to the movies with me today and after that, I owe you a favor? Anything you want?" she asked.

"Anything I want?" I asked, giving her a quizzical look. "What could you possibly do for me?"

"Will you just say yes?" she asked.

"Spit shake on it?" I asked.

Gwen made a face.

"How about a regular handshake?" she asked, putting out her hand.

I looked down at her hand and then back up at her. She smiled at me, nodding with encouragement. I finally took her hand, but reluctantly did so and we shook. Her smile grew as we shook.

"Alright." She said. "I guess that I'll see you after school today. See you later!"

She said that as she let go of my hand and ran off in the direction of her class.

"Yeah. See you." I said, as I watched her go.

 _After School_

I walked out into the living room where Mom sat, watching TV.

"Mom, I'm going out with Gwen for a while." I said. "We're going to see a movie."

She looked up.

"Oh, I'm glad honey." She said. "I'm so glad that you and Gwen are finally deciding to hang out together."

I just looked at her, for some reason a light blush was appearing on my face.

"Right." I said, as I walked to the door. "And don't call me "honey". Please."

I walked out the door before she could say anything else and shut it behind me. Gwen was already here, having pulled up in the driveway in her car. I walked down the driveway to the passenger side and got in.

"Hey!" Gwen said in a cheery tone.

"What?" I asked. "Oh, hey."

"Why do you sound so sad?" she asked.

"I'm not." I said.

"You're not?" she asked.

"I'm fine." I said. "I'm just fine."

"Okay, good!" she said. "Are you ready for one of the best afternoons of your life?"

"Um, I guess?" I asked with confusion.

Gwen reached out and put her hands on my shoulders.

"Come on, Ben!" she said. "Get ready! We're going to have fun today! You'll see!"

I let out a sigh once more.

 _Gwen_

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

We stood in line at the concessions counter. Ben was paying for the popcorn and I paid for the movie tickets. I chose to see a romantic comedy that I had heard positive things about. But the odd thing was, I was getting an odd sense of Déjà vu. I had that feeling that I had done this before. Or at least I had watched a rom-com with Ben before. And I couldn't shake that feeling.

"Okay." Ben said, as he turned to look at me. "We have popcorn and a couple of sodas. Hey, what's with you?"

 _Crap, he must have seen the look on my face._

"I don't know." I said. "I just all of a sudden have a feeling that I've done this before. You know, Déjà vu?"

"Oh, so I have a bad feeling all day long and now when we get to the movie theater, you start to feel like that you're experiencing Déjà vu." He said. "Coincidence? I think not."

I looked at him.

"Well, I'm sorry if I feel like I'm experiencing Déjà vu." I said.

"You know what? No. It's fine." He said, as he walked over to the soda machines. "Let's get a couple of drinks and head into the theater."

 _Ben_

 _One Hour Later_

We were an hour into the movie. I had a craving for popcorn, so I reached into the container of popcorn, just as Gwen did. Just as we both reached into the container, our hands touched. We both looked at each other and I could tell that each of us was beginning to blush.

"Um…" I spoke but Gwen finished my sentence for me.

"Sorry." She said.

But even though she had said sorry, she didn't take her hand off of mine and neither did I. In fact, I felt her fingers intertwine with mine as I continued to stare at her. We continued to stare at each other as we held hands, no longer interested in the movie. Suddenly, her face began to move closer to mine.

Out of instinct, I brought my face closer to hers. And the next thing I knew, we were kissing. As our hands remained intertwined, I brought my other hand up and lightly ran it through her hair. I stopped at a certain spot on her head and gently began to rub her scalp with my fingers. As I did this, I could have sworn I got a light moan out of her, as she stuck her tongue into my mouth.

I continued to gently rub her scalp, as I slipped my tongue into her mouth. We continued to kiss like that for maybe half another minute and finally pulled away. We were both struggling to catch our breath.

"Wow." Was all she said, as she squeezed my hand in hers.

"You said it." I replied, not letting go of her hand.

For the rest of the movie we sat with our hands intertwined, as well as Gwen resting her head on my shoulder.

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

Once the movie was over, we both got up from our seats.

"That was a good movie." I remarked. "But the kiss was even better."

Gwen chuckled.

"Yes, it was _very_ good." She said.

"Well, let's go." I said, as I picked up the popcorn and empty movie theater cups.

"Um, Doofus?" she said.

I turned to look at her, seeing that she had a smile on her face.

"Take my hand, Doofus." She said.

I just stared at her as she continued to smile at me. Eventually after just staring at her, I switched the empty container of popcorn into my other hand and took her hand in mine. She continued to smile at me for a few seconds as we started walking out of the theater, hand in hand.

About five minutes later, when we were out of the theater, Gwen all of a sudden seemed to be depressed. I gave her a strange look as we continued walking back to her car.

"Gwen?" I said her name.

"What?" she responded.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She turned to look at me, smiling once more.

"Of course I'm okay." She said. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed so happy in the theater and now you seem depressed." I said. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

She continued smiling.

"I'm fine." She said. "Positive."

After that, she turned away and the same depressed look appeared on her face. I stared at her with concern but said nothing. Eventually we reached her car, but she didn't get in. She just stood with her back pressed against the car, as if she was thinking. She began muttering to herself, which confused me.

"I can't do this." She whispered, loud enough for me to hear. "I can't do this."

She repeated herself several more times, before looking up at me.

"I'm sorry, Ben." She said. "I can't do this."

I was so confused. I shook my head in confusion.

"You can't do what?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't pretend that I care about you." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I kissed you." She said. "And I didn't mean it."

"You didn't mean it?" I asked. "Then why did you kiss me?"

"I… I kissed you because this whole date, this whole thing, it was nothing." She said. "I just did all of this for attention. It doesn't feel right to make you believe that I actually like you that way."

"What?" I asked, as tears came to my eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said.

That hurt so much. It seemed like my world was spinning out of control. No, really, the world around me was spinning. I couldn't see Gwen anymore, I couldn't see her car, the parking lot, nothing. I was starting to feel like I was going to throw up. But I didn't. Instead, I woke up.

…

"Ahh!" I let out a gasp of shock, as I sat up in a cold sweat.

I had just woken up from the strangest nightmare I have ever had. Never had I felt so hurt, so sad. And yet, I didn't understand why I felt that way. Why would I dream of Gwen and I going out on a date and she just reveals that she doesn't like me that way? The nightmare practically made it so that Valentine's Day never happened.

Once again, I was so shocked. I didn't understand why I would have a dream like that. It's like the dream was in its own little world. Valentine's Day had never happened, and Gwen and I were in a stable friendship. We talked on the regular, unlike the real world.

I threw my covers off and flung my legs over the side of the bed. I'd be lying if I said that this wasn't the first dream that involved Gwen. I had had several nightmares in the last week or so, but none of them were this bad. None of them had made me wake up in a cold sweat, none of them had that effect on me.

Once again, I was covered in cold sweat. I was chilled to the bone. I let out a sigh, as I felt my face.

 _Why did I feel so hurt at the prospect of Gwen duping me like that? It doesn't make sense. Why get so worked up about Gwen pretending to care and then she says doesn't?_

I rubbed my bare chest, trying to warm myself up. As I did, I looked at my alarm clock. It told me that it was five thirty in the morning. I had one hour until I had to leave for school, as well as no time to go back to sleep. I let out a sigh, as I got up from my bed.

 _Might as well take a shower to warm myself up before I have to walk to school_ , I thought.

I let out another sigh, as I walked out of my room. I could already tell that it was going to be a long day.

 _And so, that was the worst nightmare I'd ever had. At the time, I didn't know if the dream had some kind of "hidden meaning" to it. Ever hear the saying "everything happens for a reason"? Well, from this point on, anything that happens in this story that I'm telling you, the nightmare is the reason._

 _Gwen_

I kept thinking about the nightmare. I had asked Ben to the movies and we went. And for some reason, we had made out halfway through the movie. It was like the incident on Valentine's Day had never happened. And then, at the end of the dream, I told him it was all some kind of sick joke. That I had never really cared at all.

But if that was the case, then why did I feel so guilty about it? Why did I feel so sad? I mean, it was just a dream! So, I didn't understand why I felt so sad and guilty. I let out a sigh, as I began to tear up.

I shivered as the thought came to my mind.

 _Was I seriously starting to fall for Ben?_

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for this chapter! I know that it was a really weird chapter, but it'll get the ball rolling. For the rest of the story, I mean.

* Before you have to ask, yes. Ben and Gwen had the same nightmare. That's really going to tie into the plot for the next several chapters.

* I can't really think of anything else to say, so I guess this is going to do it for now. I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _Daniel6 (Chapter 6): It's gonna get worse before it gets better. Right?_

Right, Daniel. It is going to get worse for a while, but in the final few chapters I can promise that it will be infinitely better. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 6): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks Jason, glad to see that you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Cadelorbe12 (Chapter 6): 3_

Thanks, Cade. Thanks for the review as always.

Next Chapter: Ben goes through the school day miserable because of the nightmare. When Gwen comes to talk to him when she sees him upset, he decides to skip classes for the rest of the day.


	9. Chapter 8: Plagued Minds

Chapter 8: Plagued Minds

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Eight!

* In this chapter, things start to get rough for Ben and Gwen. Gwen thinks that she may be falling for Ben, while he doesn't even think about it. I can't really think of anything else to say, so I won't say anything else. So, let's get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _April_

 _You ever have one of those really bad days at school that you just want to be over? Well, this was my day._

I let out a sigh, walking out of my room dressed for the school day. But did that mean that I was ready for the day? Not by a long shot, no. I walked out into the living room where Mom sat, watching early morning TV.

"Good morning." She said.

"Mmm." I let out a grunt in response.

Mom gave me a strange look due to my response.

"Ben are you okay?" she asked.

Instead of answering her question, I asked her a question.

"Mom, can I stay home from school today?" I asked.

"Why?" she asked.

"I just have a bad feeling." I said. "I woke up feeling like something bad was going to happen today and I'd do anything just to avoid it."

Okay, this was some major Déjà vu shit that was going on right now. I think that this exact thing happened in my dream. Mom answered without even thinking.

"No, Ben." She said. "You need to go to school."

"But, Mom…" I tried to protest, but she wouldn't let me get even a sentence out of my mouth.

"But nothing, Ben!" she said. "You are a senior and you graduate next month! You _will_ take this seriously and you will go to school. You can't change my mind."

I just looked at her.

"Whatever." I said, turning around and walking back to my room.

When I got back to my room, I sat down on my bed and just thought to myself for a minute or two. I had maybe ten minutes until I had to leave. That's when my phone rang. I picked up my phone and looked at the caller ID, which told me it was Gwen calling.

 _Oh, boy,_ I thought. _What could she want?_

I answered it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, Ben." Gwen said on the other end. "Do you want to walk to school with me today?"

 _She was getting right to the point_ , I thought to myself.

I let out a sigh as I switched my phone to my other hand.

"Although I appreciate the offer, I have to say no." I said. "I just have too much stuff to think about right now. It wouldn't be fair, me not paying attention to you or not even talking to you."

Gwen was silent on the other end for a few seconds.

"Why?" she finally asked.

I was shocked by her response.

 _Had she not heard me?_

"Gwen, I told you!" I said. "I have too much on my mind, with graduation and…"

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Gwen asked, interrupting me.

"What?" I asked. "No! It's…"

"Then it's about…" Gwen spoke and let out a sigh, before speaking once more. "Then it's about Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

"No! Oh my God, Gwen, why do you keep coming back to this?" I asked. "I thought that we were over this!"

"We were! For the most part! I just… I just…" Gwen spoke and sighed with frustration, before continuing. "You know what? I'm sorry I asked. Bye."

"Gwen, wait! Don't…" I was interrupted by the sound of her hanging up on me. "…Hang up."

I let out a sigh, as I put my phone in my pocket. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder, walking out of my room and shutting off the lights as I did. I walked back into the living room, where Mom sat on the couch still.

"Who was that on the phone you were talking with, Ben?" she asked.

"It was Gwen." I said.

"What did she want?" she asked.

"She wanted to know if I wanted to walk to school with her today." I said. "I said no."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I don't want her company right now, Mom." I said. "I have a lot on my mind, with graduation coming up, among other things and I feel like that I wouldn't be paying much attention to her."

Mom gave me a strange look.

"Ben," she asked. "Did something happen between you and Gwen?"

"No." I answered immediately in a calm tone.

To be honest, I had actually gotten pretty good about keeping what happened on Valentine's Day a secret. It really wasn't that hard.

"Then why don't you want to go on a walk with her?" Mom asked.

"Mom, I already told you." I said. "I have too much on my mind, I don't think I'd pay much attention to her. I want to go by myself."

"Whatever." Mom said.

"I'm heading out." I said, as I walked towards the front door. "I'll see you later."

"Ben, wait…" Mom spoke, but I was already out the door.

I walked down the driveway and onto the sidewalk, beginning the walk to school.

 _Lunchtime_

I sat at the lunch table all by myself, without any lunch. I didn't have the appetite to eat after the nightmare and the discussion with Gwen over the phone. And to make it even worse, she was staring at me right now. She was sitting a few tables away from me and had been staring at me for most of lunch.

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I got up from the table, turned around and headed towards the exit of the cafeteria. Once I was out, I quickly walked to where my locker was. I quickly put in my combination and opened it. I pulled out my backpack and anything else I needed to take home.

I sat my backpack down onto the ground and unzipped it. I grabbed all of my things that I had taken out and stuffed them into the bag. That's when I heard quick footsteps coming my way, stopping once they reached me.

"Shit." I whispered to myself.

I slowly looked up, to see Gwen standing there, staring down at me. If it mattered, she was wearing jeans, boots and a T-shirt with a jean jacket over that.

"What's eating you?" she asked.

I gave her a confused look.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked what's eating you. You seemed to bolt from the cafeteria pretty quick." She said. "Is something wrong?"

I looked back down at my bag, as I continued to pack it. I said nothing.

"Ben?" she asked. "I asked you a question!"

I looked back up at her.

"What?" I asked. "What do you want?"

She gave me a strange look.

"What is this?" she asked. "You refused to walk to school with me and now, you're giving me the cold shoulder? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, Gwen." I said. "I had a bad dream last night and I just want to be left alone."

I looked back down at my bag as I finished speaking. Gwen spoke again after a few seconds.

"I had a bad dream last night, too." She said. "Do you want to compare notes? Maybe help each other through it?"

I looked back up at her.

"No." I said. "No, I do not. But I appreciate the offer."

She gave me a look of annoyance. She looked around to makes sure that there wasn't anyone in the hall with us, there wasn't, and she turned back to me.

"Tell me something, Ben." She replied. "All of this avoiding me, giving me the cold shoulder, it's about Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

I shook my head. I stood up to face her.

"Look. I'm just as sorry about Valentine's Day as you are." I said. "If I could go back in time and take it back, then trust me, I would."

"You have nothing to be sorry about Ben." She whispered. "What happened on Valentine's Day is on me."

"It's on both of us." I said. "You threw yourself at me and I should have resisted your advances. I should… I should have pushed you away."

She gave me a look of sympathy, which surprised me.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"It happened. It happened and neither of us can change it." I said, as I closed my locker. "Best to just acknowledge it and move on. Jesus Christ, I need to get out of here."

I picked up my bag and began to walk away from Gwen, before she spoke.

"Wait, what do you mean you need to get out of here?" she asked.

I turned back to look at her.

"I'm leaving Gwen." I said. "I have a lot on my mind and I just can't focus right now."

"So, you're skipping the rest of school?" she asked.

"If that's what you want to call it." I said to her.

"I call it what it is." She said.

"Whatever." I said, as turned away from her and began to walk away.

Once I reached one of the exits, located northeast of the cafeteria, I walked out the doors without a second thought.

 _That was the end of a hard day. You're probably wondering what was so hard about it, as I hadn't even done anything. The thoughts about Gwen that had plagued my mind all day long, that was the hard part of the day. The easy part was walking out and trying to forget we even spoke to each other that day._

 _Yes, I realize that may sound cruel. It probably is cruel of me to say. But the truth is that it's just to awkward around Gwen for me to talk to her, let alone be around her. The next day I would have choices to ponder. But that is a story for another day._

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

* So, what do you think of the dilemma that Ben is having? Ever since his nightmare, which Gwen had the same nightmare, he's been wanting to avoid her. Do you think Ben should be avoiding her?

* Anyway, I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _Toby'snotinteresting (Chapter Seven): Started reading when this first released, now that you're updating again I'm actually so happy, keep it up_

Thanks Toby, I'm glad you read this from when it first released and I'm glad you're happy that I'm updating again. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter Seven): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks Jason, glad that you're enjoying the story still. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter Seven): So the entire chapter was a mutual dream? Should be interesting to see how that happened. Looking forward to more._

Yes Car, the entire chapter was a shared dream that both Ben and Gwen had. I'm glad to know that you look forward to more. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben skips school the next day to consider what options he has.


	10. Chapter 9: Decisions, Decisions

Chapter 9: Decisions, Decisions

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Nine!

* I did say that this was a one-shot Bwen story, so you guys may be wondering how long it will be, since we're getting close to chapter ten. To be fully honest with you, I'd say maybe chapter fifteen will be the final chapter. It may go past that, but I wouldn't expect this story to run for more than twenty chapters.

* But enough of me talking. Let's get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _April_

 _That day I walked home from school, away from Gwen, I don't know why, but I just felt worse. I felt worse than I ever had in the last few months. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn't feel nauseous. There was a big knot it my stomach. Do you ever get that feeling when someone you don't see very often leaves and you start feeling sad, and having an unpleasant feeling in the pit of your stomach?_

 _I know that's a mouthful, but that's how I felt right now. And it was weird, because this was Gwen that I was usually thinking about. No, not usually thinking about. I was always thinking about her. And I didn't understand why._

I walked down the sidewalk, away from school. I felt sad and angry at the same time. And yet I didn't even know why. I let out a sigh. I kept walking, until I got home. I walked up to the front door, unlocked it and walked in.

"I'm home!" I called out to an empty house.

I didn't know why I called out, when I knew that my parents were still at work and would be for the next two and a half hours. Instincts, I guess. I let out another sigh, as I shut the door and locked it behind me. I walked through the living room and turned down the hall, walking towards my room.

I opened the door and threw my backpack onto my bed. I dropped onto my bed, onto my back and sighed once again.

 _I had no idea what I was going to do at this point. And for you readers, this could be the most boring part of my story. Deciding what options I had when it came to the dilemma with Gwen and then deciding which option was the best. It was hell trying to think about this. It really was._

I sat up on my bed, trying to figure out what I should do until my folks got home. I eventually settled on just playing some video games until everyone was home. I let out a sigh, as I walked out of my room and towards the basement stairs.

 _A Few Hours Later_

"So, how was school today, Ben?" Mom asked, as we all sat at the dinner table.

I shrugged.

"It was alright, I guess." I said.

"Anything important regarding graduation gone over today?" Dad chimed into the conversation.

"No." I said, as I poked at my dinner with my fork.

Tonight, we were having stir fry. Now, I loved my Mom's stir fry. It was fantastic in every sense of the word and every other night of the week, I'd eat it. But tonight? No.

"Ben are you alright?" Mom asked.

I got up from the table, putting my fork down as I did and ignored her.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." I said, as I pushed my chair in.

"But you haven't even touched your dinner!" Mom protested.

"I'm not hungry." I said, shaking my head as I walked to my room.

I entered my room, shut the door behind me and starting undressing as I pulled out pajama pants. I pulled them on, flicked off my lights and laid down on my bed.

 _The Next Morning_

Okay, good news first. I didn't have the nightmare again last night. Or at least if I did, I didn't remember having it. Now for the bad news. I still felt like shit. I felt like shit mentally, at least. I let out another sigh, as I got up from my bed. I walked over to my closet, opened the door and began searching for a shirt to wear. Once I had done that, I turned around to my dresser and opened it, looking for a pair of jeans.

Once I was dressed, I reached for my backpack, to get ready for school. That's when I stopped. I pulled my hand back, no longer reaching for my bag. I had made my decision. I was skipping school today. I walked out of my room without my backpack and as usual, saw my Mom on the couch, watching T.V.

"Good morning." She said once she saw me.

I nodded in response, as I walked towards the kitchen.

"Ben?" she asked.

I looked back at her.

"I told you good morning just now." She said.

I sighed.

"Good morning." I said, as I walked into the kitchen.

I heard her footsteps follow me.

"Ben." She kept on saying my name.

I turned around to look at her.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Come here." She said as she moved closer to me, putting the back of her hand on my forehead.

She frowned as she did.

"You're a bit warm. You could have a fever." She said. "Tell you what. Why don't you go to school today and after you get home, I'll take you to the doctor after I get home from work. Okay?"

I nodded, as I walked away and into the kitchen.

"What do we have lying around for breakfast?" I asked.

"You can have the stir fry that you didn't eat last night." She said. "It's in the microwave and ready to be reheated."

I turned my back to her as I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks." I said.

Once I had reheated the stir fry, I sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat. I ate for about five minutes and then got up to go back to my room. I grabbed my backpack, slipped it onto my shoulders and walked back out towards the living room.

"Hey, I'm going to get going." I said.

Mom looked into the kitchen.

"But you didn't even eat half of your dinner from last night!" she said.

"I'm just not that hungry, Mom." I said. "I'm going to school."

"Um, okay?" she said as I walked out the door.

I shut the door behind me. As soon as the door was shut, I walked over to the bushes and stashed my backpack in the bushes. Then I got into the bushes, and hid for a while.

 _One Hour Later_

I must have dozed off for a bit, because the next thing I knew, I was woken up by the sound of a car's engine turning on. Once I was fully awake once more, I peered through the leaves of the bush and saw that my Mom was heading for work. I waited until the car was out of the driveway and long gone, and then I got out of the bush, grabbing my backpack as I went.

I walked back to the front door, unlocked it with my key, and walked back in. I closed the door behind me and locked it back. I walked into my room and tossed my backpack in. After that, I walked back out of my room, down the hall and towards the garage. I needed to think for a while, but I also needed a rope.

Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like _that_. I walked out into the garage and over to Dad's toolbox. I opened it up and rooted around through it. Eventually, I found what I was looking for. A rope about four or five feet in length.

"This should do nicely." I said, as I picked up the coil and put my arm through it, allowing it to rest on my shoulder.

I put everything back the way it had been in Dad's toolbox and closed it. Then I walked out of the garage and towards the back door.

 _Ten Minutes Later_

I sat up in a tree, on the branch, a way's away from my house, with the rope tied around my waist, so I wouldn't fall. I was up in this tree to help clear my head. Anyway, the way I saw it, I had a few choices to consider. And every one of those choices concerned Gwen. I let out a depressed sigh, as I began to think to myself.

 _Okay, you've been thinking that you're in love with Gwen. You're not, let's just admit that now. You may think that you're in love with Gwen, but you're not. But even at the off chance that you are in love with her, you have choices. Options. The way I see it, there are three options._

 _Choice number one: If you are in love with Gwen, and this is hypothetical in its own right, but if you are in love with Gwen, ask her out. Just test it out, see if she returns your feelings. The worst thing that could happen is she'd just say no. That's a sacrifice, she could say no and then it would be awkward anytime we were in each other's company._

 _Choice number two: Don't say anything to Gwen about it. Now, that's a big, nasty pill to swallow, but if she doesn't return your feelings, that may be one of the best courses of action. And it will obviously be painful for me, to not be able to return those feelings. But once again, if she doesn't return my feelings, what else could I do?_

 _And choice number three: Just run away. There's no pain in doing it. You can just run away and start over somewhere else. Now, this is both the worst and the best option. It's the best, because I never have to tell Gwen about my feelings (if I do love her, that is) and I can just get over her. And it's the worst, because it's going to be painful for my family, as well as painful for me for the first few months, being away from Gwen. But I'd have to get over that._

I didn't like my options. None of them were ideal. I mean, with telling Gwen about my feelings, I could risk being ridiculed. This wasn't good. Eventually so much time passed of me thinking about things, like graduation, what I was going to do with the rest of my life, that I realized it was time for me to get back.

 _Later That Afternoon_

I sat down in the basement watching T.V. later that day. I was just trying to do something that would take the stress off of my mind. That's when I heard Mom call down to me.

"Ben, can you come up here please?" she asked.

I reluctantly got up off the couch and moved towards the stairs. I walked upstairs, through the kitchen and into the living room, where Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Have a seat." Mom said.

I did as I was told and sat down on the loveseat. Both of my parents were in silence for a minute or so, before Mom finally spoke.

"I got a call from the school today. You left early yesterday and didn't even show up today." She said. "You skipped school. Do you mind telling me why?"

I looked at her for a few seconds, before deciding that I was going to lie.

"I don't know what they're talking about. I _was_ at school." I said. "Maybe they're not doing attendance like they…"

"Okay, now you're in even more trouble for lying to us." She said. "I know when you're lying. And right now, you are lying."

I just stared at the ground.

"Where did you go?" Mom asked.

I ignored her. A few minutes of silence passed, before Mom started talking again.

"You are grounded until graduation, Benjamin. Your grades are slipping, and I will not allow to flunk out of your senior year." She said. "Starting today, your eating habits will be changing."

"What eating habits?" I asked. "I've been barely eating at all!"

"Don't use that tone of voice with me." She said. "I know you haven't been eating much and that's going to change. You aren't going to school until you eat breakfast every morning. And you won't be leaving the kitchen until every last scrap of food on your plate is gone."

I sat in silence.

"Next is your drinking habits." She said. "You'll be drinking nothing but water. No Gatorade, no soda, nothing that isn't water is going to go into your body. You need to eat and drink healthy."

I was silent still.

"Next thing to go are the video games. They are stupid and a complete waste of your time." She said. "So, I'm boxing up all of your game consoles, all of your games and accessories. If you come out of graduation with good grades, I just might consider giving them back."

I rolled my eyes as I continued to stare at the floor.

"We're also suspending your internet privileges." She said.

I looked up.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"You're going to disconnect all of your devices from the internet." She said. "The only time you'll be having an internet connection is when you're at the kitchen table, doing your homework for three hours a day, and five hours on Saturdays and Sundays."

"I want an internet connection on my phone." I said. "I want to listen to music when I'm doing my homework."

"No." she said.

"Studies have shown that listening to music while studying or doing homework improves focus." I said.

"You can't argue with me." She said.

"Sandra, what's it going to hurt?" Dad asked. "If the kid wants to listen to music, then let him!"

Mom let out a growl of anger.

"Fine!" she exclaimed.

There was more silence after that.

"Um, Sandra, let's sweeten the terms a little bit." Dad said. "I don't think he should be able to go anywhere except to and from school. So, when he's not at school, he's going to be home. He won't be going anywhere else."

I just stared at my Dad with shock.

"That works fine." Mom said, answering almost immediately. "It's settled. Ben isn't allowed to go anywhere except to and from school."

I got up from the loveseat.

"Whatever." I said. "I'm just going to go to my room and take a nap."

"You get out your textbooks and you start doing homework!" Mom called to me.

"Whatever." I said under my breath.

Suddenly, I stopped walking. Eventually I turned around to face my parents.

"You know what?" I asked. "I did skip school yesterday and today. I have had a lot on my mind recently and I needed time to clear my mind."

"It doesn't matter whatever's on your mind, you can't just skip school." Mom said. "That being said, what's been on your mind?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I said.

"What has been on your mind?" she asked in a sterner tone.

"I said that I don't want to talk about it!" I said in a harsh tone as I turned back around and walked to my room.

"Ben!" Dad said. "You come back here and apologize to your mother for talking to her like that!"

I ignored him and kept walking.

"Ben, you go into your room now, you'll be going to bed without dinner!" he said in a stern tone.

I stopped for a second or two, before finishing the walk to my bedroom door. I opened the door, walked in and closed it behind me. I flopped down onto my bed and tried to catch some zzzs.

 _One Hour Later_

I was woken up by the sound of knocking on my door. After getting off of my bed I went to go open my door. I opened the door to see no one outside. I smelled something, and I looked down, to see a tray of food at my feet. I picked up the tray of food, which had a bowl of piping hot beef stew, a smaller bowl of assorted cut up fruits, like watermelon, pineapple and such, along with a note.

I stepped backwards into my room and used my foot to shut the door. I put the tray of food down in front of my bed and picked up the note to read it. It said:

 _Eat this and feel better. Tomorrow will be a brand new day for you and you will adhere to the new rules. I promise that you'll thank me one day for this. And who knows? Maybe after you make it through to graduation, I might just start giving you your stuff back._

 _\- Mom_

I rolled my eyes after I read the note, before crumbling it up and tossing it aside. I let out a sigh, as I sat down with my back to the bed and I began to eat my dinner.

 _And that's pretty much it for this session of story time. No, really, I mean it. You're not missing out on anything interesting because of me cutting off the story here. I mean, I was just going to bed; is that exciting?_

 _No, it's not. But anyway, back on topic. The next day I thought would be a normal school day. I was mistaken. But as I always say, that story is for another day._

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for this chapter!

* So, what did you think of Ben pondering his choices? He's not aware that he's in love with Gwen yet. That revelation will be coming soon. Possibly sooner than you would think. Does Ben deserve being grounded for skipping and falling behind in school? Sound off in the reviews guys and let me know.

* Well, that's going to do it for today. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _Car45 (Chapter Eight): It's a rough road for these two. Hope things start to work out soon._

Thanks, Car. Yes, it is a rough road. I keep saying it, but it's only going to get rougher from here, but I do promise that eventually all of this will be worth it. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter Eight): And another great chapter congrats Oh I can't wait to when they realize that they are in love and they be together_

Thanks, Jason. It's going to be a while, but it'll eventually happen. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben adjusts to his new way of life. At school, Ben is shocked to learn that things have changed.


	11. Chapter 10: Counseling Day

Chapter 10: Counseling Day

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Ten! Nothing to be said here, so let's get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _April_

 _So, my life was quickly becoming the worst life to live in existence. I had had it all. An insane gaming setup, a huge comic book collection, free to come and go as I wanted to. But now, all of that was gone. It was like I was a prisoner now. The thing that sucks most about all this is that I have nothing to distract me from my thoughts about Gwen now. It was truly and utterly depressing._

I had a pretty fun day ahead of me, I could already tell. After eating breakfast, I walked to school. Once I got to school, I went to my locker and dropped off all of my textbooks and stuff that I didn't need right away and then went to my first class.

I walked into the classroom and plunked my stuff down beside my desk and sat down. I wasn't sitting at my desk for even five minutes before it happened. Our teacher came up to me and put down a pass to the counseling center in front of me. I looked up at her.

"What?" I asked with confusion.

"Your counselor wants to see you, Ben." She said.

"Um, okay?" I asked as I got up. "I'll be back in time for class to start."

"No, take your stuff with you." She said.

"But I'm sure that I can…"

"Mr. Armstrong wants you to bring your stuff." She said. "That's all I know. Now go."

I was confused, but nevertheless, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder and walked out of the classroom. I walked down the hall and towards the counseling center. It took me about five minutes to get there. I walked through the door to the counseling center and stopped in front of the reception desk.

"What's your name and what can I help you with?" the lady at the desk asked without looking up at me.

"My name is Ben Tennyson." I said. "I'm here to see my counselor, Mr. Armstrong."

"Second door on the left." The lady said, once again without looking up at me.

I walked past the reception area and towards the door to Mr. Armstrong's office. I knocked on his door and waited for him to open the door. Eventually he opened the door and invited me in.

"Ben, good to see you." He said. "Please, come on in."

Mr. Armstrong was African-American, trying not to sound like a racist, which I am not. He was taller than me and he had a short goatee, along with a buzz cut. I walked into his office and shut the door behind us, as he sat down in his chair at his desk. I grabbed one of the chairs that sat against the wall opposite of his desk, pulled it closer to his desk and sat down.

"So, why am I here?" I asked.

"You are here because you have to catch up on your English assignments." He said. "And there's not enough time for you to do that in one class period."

"But won't I be missing my other classes? And you know, getting behind in them, too?" I asked.

"That's just the way we prefer it." Mr. Armstrong said.

"But that doesn't make any sense." I protested.

"Well I'm sorry, but it's final." He said. "You've been pulled from all of your classes today. All of your teachers have been notified that you'll be absent and in here for the day."

I just looked down at the floor.

 _Great. That was just what I needed. More bullshit to get me behind in class._

"Ben?" he asked with confusion.

"What do I start with?" I asked, without looking up at him.

"Follow me." He said, as he got up and opened his door.

I picked up my bag and followed him out into the little common area that they had inside of the counseling center. The place had four computers and three tables, all with four or five chairs. I looked around the room, waiting for Mr. Armstrong to speak.

"This is where you'll be spending most of your time." He said. "Usually our office aids use the computers in their down time, when they're not running errands for us. But since you'll be here, I'm granting you access to one."

"This is where I'll spend most of my time? What do you mean?" I asked. "How long will I be here?"

"For the remainder of the week most likely." He said. "Why do you ask?"

There were three days, including today, left in the week.

"I'll be here today, tomorrow and Friday?" I asked. "Mr. Armstrong, I don't see how this will help me in my other classes."

Mr. Armstrong shrugged.

"Well, if you catch up on any current missing assignments in here and do any daily homework you get at home, which I'll get from your teachers for you, I'm sure you'll be caught up in no time." He said "Your mom wanted me to help you and this is what I could come up with. This is what I thought was best."

"So, my mom was in on this?" I asked. "How is this being helpful?"

"Like I said, I thought that this was the best course of action." He said.

"Well if I'm going to be in here all day, then what about lunch?" I asked.

"You can go to any lunch period that you wish to go to." He said.

"This is all pretty weird. You know, not going by my normal day-to-day schedule?" I asked. "Can I have a minute to think about it?"

"Well you're going to need all of the time you can get, so I don't think that's a great idea." He said.

"So, you think I should start now?" I asked. "Is that right?"

"Yes." He said as he nodded.

I sighed.

"Fine." I replied. "I'll sit down and get to work."

"Thank you." He said.

"No problem." I said as I placed my bag against the third station in the single row of four computers.

"Get busy but do keep in mind one thing." He said.

I looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm going to let you work for a while, but I'll eventually ask you to come back into my office." He said. "I want to know why you're beginning to flunk all of a sudden."

I nodded.

"Okay." I said as I turned to the computer. "Yes, sir."

 _A Few Hours Later_

It was nearing lunchtime and I was already getting bored. Even listening to my music on the YouTube app wasn't helping anymore. And as much as I hated to say it, I was about to get into trouble. I was working on assignments on the computer, while I waited for the prompt to skip an ad on the YouTube app.

"Hey, you're here to work, not watch movies." A female voice said.

I looked up to see one of the counselors, Ms. Hurt standing beside me.

"No Ma'am, I wasn't watching a movie. I'm listening to music on the YouTube app." I said. "There's an ad playing and I'm waiting for the prompt to skip it."

That didn't seem to help my case in the slightest.

"Oh, so now you're back-talking me?" she asked.

I was shocked that she even said that.

"Um, no Ma'am. I'm just trying to explain to you…" I started speaking just for her to interrupt me.

"Okay, I can accept students needing a warning to get back to work, but I can't accept back-talking." She said as she put out her open hand to me. "I'm going to need you to hand over your phone."

I looked at her with shock.

"No, I was just listening to music, Ma'am." I said. "I don't want any trouble."

"If you don't want any trouble, then I advise that you hand over your phone." She said.

I just stared at her, as she waited for me to hand over my phone. I finally let out a sigh.

"Fine." I said, as I handed her my phone, removing my earbuds first.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Ms. Hurt said before she walked back to her office.

"No problem." I said with sarcasm once she was in her office.

"Ben?" I heard Mr. Armstrong saying my name.

I looked over to at my counselor, whom was standing in the doorway of his office.

"Can we talk now?" he asked.

I nodded, got up from my chair and walked into his office. He closed the door behind me and gestured for me to sit down next to his desk. I sat down and waited for him to speak.

"So, I want to know a little bit more about why you are falling behind in your classes." He said. "Could you please tell me about that?"

I began to think to myself.

 _Was I really going to tell him about the whole Gwen situation? I mean, obviously I wouldn't mention her name or any of the choices I have. I'd just say that I'm having problems with a girl. Well, he is a counselor after all, so maybe he can help me._

I sighed as I looked up at him.

"Can you keep what I'm about to say between us, Mr. Armstrong?" I asked.

He looked at me with confusion.

"Well, if it has to do with anything you shouldn't be doing, like drinking or doing drugs, you do understand that I have to tell someone, right?" he asked.

"No, it's nothing like that." I said.

He looked at me, before nodding.

"Okay." He said. "What do you want to tell me?"

"You have to promise that you won't say anything to anyone." I said.

"Okay, Ben." He said. "I promise. Now what do you want to tell me?"

I let out a sigh before speaking.

"I'm, uh, having problems with a girl." I said. "I think that I like her and it's causing me to fall behind."

He looked at me.

"What's the problem about it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure if I want to let her know about my feelings or not." I said.

"Well, why won't you just ask her?" he asked.

"Because I'm not sure how she will react." I said.

"Well, you won't know unless you ask her, will you?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Just ask her to a movie, ask her to a sports game or ask her to dinner." He said. "Just see what she thinks of _you_."

I nodded once again.

"Thanks." I said.

"Look, a lot of married couples will call themselves "high school sweethearts". Don't buy into that. I don't think it's wise for you to be looking for love while you're still in school." He said. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't allow dating in high school. You're here to learn, not decide if you like a person or if you don't. But that's not my choice, so do whatever you want to do."

I nodded once again.

"What's her name?" he asked.

"What?" I asked.

"What's her name?" he asked.

I stayed silent after he asked that.

"You don't want to tell me her name?" he asked after I stayed silent for a few seconds.

I said nothing still.

"Okay, I can respect that." He said.

"Um, can I go to lunch now?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Yes, the second lunch shift is ending in a few minutes." He said. "You can go once the third shift starts."

"Thanks, Mr. Armstrong." I said as I got up from the chair.

I walked out of his office and was about to go sit back down at my station until the next lunch shift started, but I stopped. I walked to Ms. Hurt's open door and looked in, to see her typing away on her computer keyboard. I stepped a little further into the room.

"Um, Ms. Hurt?" I asked.

"Yes? What is it?" she asked without looking up.

"Um, can I have my phone back, please?" I asked.

"No." she said without looking at me.

"Why?" I asked. "I'm going to lunch soon and I want to listen to music while I eat!"

"I don't care what you intend to do with your phone." She said. "You were back-talking me and I don't like it when someone does that."

"Well, I'm sorry that you thought I was back-talking Ms. Hurt, but I really wasn't!" I said. "I was just trying to explain myself!"

"See, you're doing it again." She said.

"Doing what?" I asked with confusion.

"Back-talking." She said.

I let out a sigh of anger.

"Can I just please have my phone back?" I asked.

"No." she said.

"Okay, Ms. Hurt. I'm sorry that I back-talked you." I said. "Can I have my phone back _now_?"

"No." she repeated herself.

"But why?" I asked. "I apologized!"

"I know." She said. "But it's a start."

"Can I please have my phone back?" I asked.

"No." she repeated herself once more.

I heard footsteps behind me and I turned around to see Mr. Armstrong standing behind me.

"Hey, Dee?" he asked, calling Ms. Hurt by her first name.

"Yes?" she asked, looking up.

"Just give Ben his phone back." He said. "All he wants is to listen to music at lunch and third shift starts in a minute. He doesn't have all day for this."

Ms. Hurt just looked at him.

"But Prince," she said, calling him by his first name. "If I give him back his phone, he won't learn his lesson!"

"Dee, I heard both conversations between you two." Mr. Armstrong said. "And it doesn't sound like he was backtalking at any point."

Ms. Hurt just looked at Mr. Armstrong once more, before letting out a sigh. She reached for one of the drawers on her desk and pulled it open. She reached inside and pulled out my phone. She handed my phone to me and I was about to take it, when she pulled it back. I just looked at her with surprise.

"I want to be sure that I'm being quite clear with you." She said. "I don't expect to see any funny business after this."

I looked at her with confusion.

"Okay, I'll rephrase that. I'm giving you back your phone, so you can "listen to music at lunch"." She said. "But when you get back, I better not see it out for the rest of the day. Are we clear?"

"How about tomorrow, then?" I asked.

"What about tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'm going to be here all week." I said. "What about tomorrow? Can I have my phone out to listen to music in here tomorrow?"

Ms. Hurt just stared at me with annoyance and for a second, I was afraid that she was going to take my phone again. But then, she spoke.

"Let's just see how you get through the rest of the day." She said.

I reached for my phone, but she pulled it back once more.

"Wait." She said. "Are we clear?"

It was my turn to look at her with annoyance now. I took my phone from her hand.

"Crystal." I said as I did so.

I walked out of her office and at that moment the bell rang, signaling the end of second lunch shift. I was about to walk out of the counseling center, when Mr. Armstrong stopped me.

"Ben, wait." He said.

I turned around to look at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Remember what we talked about." He said. "Try something or don't. No one's going to make the choice regarding your problem for you."

I nodded in thanks.

"You can head out now." He said. "I'll let you go early after all of that nonsense with Dee."

"Thanks, Mr. Armstrong." I said, as I turned once again.

As I walked out of the counseling center, I began to think about the conversation that we had earlier.

 _Let's think for a minute. You had that conversation regarding Gwen with Mr. Armstrong. Now, you wouldn't have brought it up if you hadn't of that it was a serious problem. If it's causing you this much pain and to almost flunk out of school, then it must be the real thing._

I had accepted the given facts as a reality. I think that I was in love with Gwen.

 _So, that was the day. That was the day that I accepted the fact that I was in love with Gwen. And that wasn't something I was happy about. Later that afternoon, my parents would inform me about something that they had learned that day. But that would be a story for another day, as for now, this is where I cut the story off._

 _Author's Note:_

* And that is it for this chapter!

* I'm going to skip the major details for this chapter and jump right to the main point that most readers would care the most about. At this point, Ben has pretty much accepted that he is in love with Gwen. This is the point that Ben will decide to take his options more seriously. And it also won't be much longer for them until the inevitably get together.

* Go ahead and sound off in reviews about anything I didn't mention, if you want. Anyway, I hope you guys did enjoy this chapter. I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _jasongd (Chapter Nine): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks, Jason. Glad to see you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter Nine): Tough choices. Of course we all know that number one is the best. Yes he does deserve some punishment for skipping school. He had a good reason but he can't tell them…But really how do you ground a kid with the Omnitrix on his wrist. As always, I'll be looking forward to the next chapter._

Yes, they are tough choices. Choice one is the best? Ben sure doesn't think so. To him, running away or just keeping his mouth shut is the best choice. I'll discuss that further in the next reader's review. Oh, Ben doesn't have the Omnitrix in this story. Cold Winter's Night takes place in it's own reality, where Ben never got the Omnitrix, where he and Gwen never became heroes. Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _SimmerGirlXo (Chapter Nine): Omg I nearly had a heart attack when he said he needed rope …Phew wasn't for something bad so yayy kinda lol …Like dude #1 is the only option here …And why the heck is running away is an option ?Ughz when will they actually discuss all of this? Awesome story btwyou're doing a great job keep it upD …Cant wait for the next installment (hugs)_

Yeah, it wasn't for anything bad. Once again, Ben isn't considering option one, here. Why is running away an option? Oh, boy. Um, put yourself into Ben's shoes for a second. If you fell for your cousin, like him, and you two already had an uneasy relationship, would you have the guts to confess?

Because I know that I wouldn't, knowing that a confession may just make the relationship worse and that's exactly what Ben is afraid of. It should be an obvious fact that Gwen returns his feelings, but he's completely oblivious to her feelings. So, he thinks that him confessing to Gwen will just make their relationship worse, so to him, confessing isn't even worth. Did I not explain that very well?

Please be honest and tell me if I didn't explain it well enough or at all. They'll discuss it within the next five chapters or so. I'm glad that you think it's an awesome story (though I don't agree half of the time) and it's cool that you think I'm doing a great job. Um, virtual hugs to you, I guess? Anyway, thanks for the review as always.

 _xhope14x (Chapter Nine): You know at first I thought i wouldn't like this story but you have pulled me in and now I can't wait for the next chapter keep up the good work mate._

Oh! Well, I'm glad that you like the story, despite your first impressions. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _He23t (Chapter Nine): Truthfully I was reading this story out of boredom, But then the plot revolving around Ben and Gwen tension and love for one another had me hooked._

Well, regardless of you reading the story out of boredom, I'm glad you found yourself hooked to it. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben's parents inform him that they know something. Ben confronts his counselor.


	12. Chapter 11: Blind Betrayal

Chapter 11: Blind Betrayal

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Eleven!

* Before I address anything, I just want to say that this chapter's title is a reference to the Fallout 4 quest of the same name. Anyway, I guess that I don't really have anything to address, so let's get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _That day I decided to walk home from school. When I would get home, my parents, or Mom at least, would confront me about who the girl I liked was. So, Mr. Armstrong had pulled a fast one on me when he told me that he wouldn't say anything to anyone about our conversation. While I walked home, I pondered my options once again. Now that I knew that I was probably in love with Gwen, I would have to take these options more seriously._

I let out a sigh as I walked down the sidewalk. I was pretty sure that I was in love with Gwen and that wasn't a good thing. That only meant I had to take my options more seriously.

 _Okay, let's think. You know for a fact now that you are pretty much in love with Gwen, your cousin. That's not a good thing. But the thing is that you have choices. Choice one, just tell her about your feelings. Tell her about your feelings and risk the chance of being ridiculed by her. And then she'll probably never want to speak to you or see you ever again. Not a good outcome. Choice number two, never tell her your feelings._

 _That is a hard thing to do, but if you want to keep a stable relationship with her, that may be the way to go. Sure, you'll never know if she feels the same way, but it's better than her ridiculing you. And now for the best and worst option, which is leaving everything behind. And by that, I mean running away from this life. You don't have to tell Gwen about your feelings, nor do you really have to live with that secret._

 _Leave your current life and start a new one elsewhere. Eventually you'll have to forget about Gwen and move on. Maybe you'll decide to come back home one day, maybe you won't. This is the best option, because you running away almost ensures that you'll never have to face Gwen and admit your feelings, nor will you have to keep your emotions locked up, in a sense at least. And it's the worst option because of what it will do to your family. They'll always be trying to find you and they won't understand why you left._

Out of all of the choices, I thought that choice number three was the best way out. I wish that there was another way. But I'm hoping that with that choice, I'll eventually get over Gwen and I'll be able to return to this life one day. I let out another sigh as I finally arrived home. I reached for the doorknob and opened the door. I walked in to see both of my parents waiting for me.

"Um, hi?" I asked.

"Ben, can you sit down please?" Mom asked.

I let out a sigh.

"What did I do this time?" I asked as I sat down.

"You didn't do anything, Ben." Mom said. "You've done everything we've asked of you."

"Then would you kindly tell me what this is about?" I asked.

"Ben, just calm down." Dad said. "Sandra, do you want to take it from here?"

Mom nodded, which I would admit made me a little suspicious. She looked back at me before speaking.

"Ben, do you want to tell us about the girl that you like?" she asked.

I was shocked once I had heard her say that. Eventually I recovered from my shock and kept a straight face.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Don't play dumb, Ben." Mom said. "What's her name? What's she like?"

"What's whose name?" I asked. "What is who like?"

"Ben, just stop playing dumb and tell us who this girl is that's causing your problems." Dad said. "Who knows, maybe we'll be able to help you confront her or at least occupy your time doing stuff to distract your thoughts about this person."

"I seriously don't know what you're talking about." I said.

Mom and Dad exchanged glances, and then she looked back at me.

"Ben, your counselor told us that you were having trouble with a girl." She said. "I need you to tell us what's going on. It's not good to bottle up your emotions like that. Remember how I mentioned that on Valentine's Day?"

I nodded.

"No. I'm not sold." I said. "I'm not telling you anything."

"We're your parents, Ben!" Dad said. "You have to tell us what's going on!"

"No, I don't." I said.

"Ben, you have to…"

"No, I don't!" I exclaimed with annoyance.

Mom just looked at me for a few seconds before she spoke again.

"How was school today?" was all she said.

I tried to decide whether or not I should answer, of if I should just ignore them and go to my room altogether. Eventually I decided to just speak.

"Mr. Armstrong is pulling me from my classes to catch up on my English work in the counseling center." I said. "Did you know about this?"

Mom nodded.

"And you approve of this?" I asked.

"Ben, it will help you get your English grade up." She said.

"And what about my other grades?" I asked. "Aren't they just going to go down, too?"

"It doesn't matter." Mom said. "You can still do any homework or assignments you get from those classes."

"Not if I don't get the notes from the class sessions!" I said. "How will I do some assignments that I don't have any clue to do?"

"I'll help you." She said.

"That's not good enough." I said. "I won't have that, it's unacceptable!"

"What are you saying, Ben?" She asked.

"You want to ground me? Fine. Take all of my stuff away from me? Fine." I said. "But I want out of the counseling center! If I have to be grounded and all of my stuff taken from me, then I want to be doing at least one thing normal. I want to go back to my normal school schedule, going to all of my classes seven hours a day, five days a week."

Mom and Dad just stared at me.

"Please!" I exclaimed.

They both looked at each other, before looking back at me.

"Okay, Ben." She said. "I'll get a hold of your counselor and try to convince him to let you go back to your normal schedule."

"Okay." I said, as I turned to walk to my room. "Thank you."

As I walked to my room, Mom called back out to me.

"Ben, wait." She said. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

I turned back to look at her.

"What?" I asked.

"Your homework?" she asked.

"Yeah." I said as I turned back towards the open door to my room. "I'll get right on it."

"You'll do all of your homework at the kitchen table." Mom said.

"I'll be right in there." I said, not turning around this time.

"You can bring your backpack with you." Mom said. "You'll be at that table all night."

"I want to drop off my backpack first." I said.

"You can bring it with you." Mom repeated. "You'll be at the dinner table all night."

I turned my head to look at them out of my peripheral vision.

"I'm doing this my way, even if I'm grounded." I said before walking to my room.

 _The Next Day_

The next morning, I left the house early to eat breakfast at school. When I told Mom that I wanted to eat breakfast at school, she literally told me that I had to text her a picture of my breakfast tray to prove that I was eating breakfast.

Once I got school, I made my way to the cafeteria. I walked through the breakfast line and got a tray. Today's breakfast special was waffle sticks with a pack of syrup and a container of cereal, that was the student's choice.

After I made my way through the line I went to go sit down at one of the empty lunch tables. After sending Mom a picture of my breakfast, I began to eat. As I ate, I heard footsteps approaching my table. I looked up, to see Gwen walking up to my table.

 _What great timing on her part,_ I thought.

She stopped once she reached my table, but she didn't sit down.

"I haven't seen you in a few days." She said. "Where have you been?"

I looked up at her with silence, before I looked back down and went back to eating.

"Well, as you know, I skipped the rest of Monday. On Tuesday, I just didn't show up." I said. "And my parents found out that I skipped and now I'm grounded until graduation."

"That's kind of overkill, don't you think?" she asked.

"You're telling me." I said.

"But then again, you kind of deserved it." She said.

"Whatever." I said as I continued eating.

"Well, if you were here yesterday, then why didn't I see you?" she asked.

"I was cooped up in the counseling center." I said.

"What for?" she asked.

"To help improve my English grade by doing English assignments in there all day." I said.

"But wouldn't that be bad for all of your classes?" she asked.

"Mom is on it." I said as I looked up. "She's going to try to convince Mr. Armstrong to let me go back to my regular schedule."

After I said that, she went silent. So, I went back to eating.

"Why didn't you come to school on Tuesday?" she asked.

"Because I needed some time to myself." I said. "I needed to be able to think uninterrupted."

"About the nightmare?" Gwen asked.

I said nothing. I heard Gwen pull a chair out and sit down at the table with me.

"You know, I had a nightmare the other day, too." She said. "It's not too late for us to compare notes and see if we can help each other."

"No." I said as I looked up.

"Please?" she asked. "You can talk about anything with me, you know?"

I said nothing.

"You know, that's our special bond that we have Ben, you can tell me anything and I can tell you anything." She said. "See that's the whole…"

I couldn't listen to her talk anymore. I got up from the table and began to walk away from her with my tray in my hands. I heard her rush to keep up with me.

"That's the thing, Ben." She said as she caught up with me and began to walk by my side. "You can tell me anything and I can tell you anything. There are no secrets between us!"

"I can't tell you Gwen." I said. "It would just make all of this worse."

I dumped what was left of my breakfast into a trashcan and put my tray on the counter, where the lunch ladies would later take the trays to be cleaned before lunch. I turned around and walked past Gwen towards the open cafeteria doors. And of course, Gwen followed me.

"Just think about that for a second Ben." She said as she walked with me out into the hall. "Just think about it…"

"I've thought about it." I said as I turned to face her.

"Think about it mor…"

"I've thought about it!" I exclaimed with annoyance.

"Think about it again!" Gwen said. "It's not healthy to bottle up your thoughts and that's what you're doing!"

"I don't care." I said as I walked past her.

"You do you realize that if you walk away from this and come asking me to hear you out later, I can't promise you that I will." she said. "You know that, right?"

I stopped in my tracks and just stood in the hall for a few seconds. I heard her footsteps getting closer again, but she didn't walk up to my side. Instead, she stopped a foot or two behind me.

"Ben?" she cautiously asked my name.

I turned to look at her and shook my head.

"I don't care." I said. "Now if you excuse me, I have a boring life to get back to."

She didn't say anything, she just stood there, looking at me. I just stared back at her, before turning around and walking away.

"Who am I to keep you?" she asked.

I stopped in my tracks once again, but this time I didn't turn to look at her. Instead I just stood there, not doing anything. After a few seconds, I began walking again and this time Gwen didn't say anything.

 _Later That Day_

I sat in the counseling center, trying to focus on my work, but I couldn't take it anymore. I had to talk to Mr. Armstrong about ratting me out to my parents and it had to be now. I got up from my computer station and walked over to the door to his office. I knocked on the door and waited for a response. He eventually opened his door and I poked my head in.

"Mr. Armstrong, do you have a minute?" I asked.

"Of course, Ben." He said. "Come on in."

I walked into his office and shut the door behind me. I sat down in a chair next to his desk and looked at him.

"Ben, what is it?" he asked.

I looked away for a second, before looking back at him.

"I thought you promised me that you wouldn't tell anyone." I said.

"Tell anyone what?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Mr. Armstrong." I said in a bit of a harsh tone. "I know you told my parents about our conversation yesterday."

Mr. Armstrong said nothing.

"I know that you told them, because yesterday when I got home, they wanted to talk about it." I said. "How would they know unless you told them?"

"I had to." He finally said as he looked away.

"No, you didn't." I said. "I asked for your trust and you gave it to me. You betrayed me, Mr. Armstrong."

"I had to tell them, Ben. I told them that if I could get anything out of you, regarding to why you were failing, that I would tell them." He said. "So, yesterday when you told me all of this, I phoned your Mom while you were at lunch."

I said nothing.

"I'm sorry, Ben." He said after a few seconds of silence.

I looked at him with anger.

"No. No you're not." I said in a harsh tone. "You don't get to be sorry. Now that my Mom knows, and she'll probably be pestering me with questions, trying to figure out who the girl is, you don't get to be sorry."

Mr. Armstrong didn't say anything after that.

"This conversation is over." I said as I got up from his chair.

"Ben, wait!" Mr. Armstrong said from behind me.

I left the room without another word to him.

 _The Next Day_

As per usual, I sat at my computer station doing English work. The day had just started, and this was my third day out of classes. Out my peripheral vision I saw Mr. Armstrong come out of his office and walk over to me. I paid no attention to him.

"Ben?" he asked.

"What do you want?" I asked without looking at him.

"Don't talk to me like that." He said. "I understand that you are unhappy with me, but I will not allow you to talk to me like that."

"Just speak your mind." I said.

Mr. Armstrong was silent for a few seconds, probably just thinking to himself.

"Well," he eventually spoke. "I've noticed that you've been doing good work in here. You've caught up a good amount of work for English."

I turned to look at him, interested in what he was saying now.

"That being said, I think it's time for you to go back to your classes." He said.

"You're being serious?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm being serious." He said. "So, why don't you log off of the computer, gather up your stuff and I'll fill out a pass to your first class for you."

"Okay." I said as I did as he said.

A couple minutes passed, and I had my backpack on, and I was waiting in the doorway of his office to get the pass from him.

"Okay," he said as he handed me the pass. "Here you go. Have a good day."

"Thanks." I said, as I yanked it a little too hard from his hand. "You, too."

I turned around and walked out of his office.

"Ben, do you…" he began to speak behind me, causing me to stop. "Do you forgive me?"

I turned around to look at him.

"What?" I asked. "Do I forgive you for going back on your promise?"

He said nothing, which kind of confirmed it.

"Don't push it." I said, as I narrowed my eyes.

I turned around and walked towards the exit of the counseling center.

 _And there it was. My life was going back to normal. Well, at least an aspect of it was. In the coming weeks, basically nothing would change. A couple weeks from now, Gwen would go on a date with a guy from school who kind of like her._

 _That wouldn't end well for either of them. Don't worry, nothing necessarily bad happened. They just weren't compatible. Bus as I always say, this is where I'm going to cut the story short. So, I'll pick this up next time._

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _Daniel6 (Chapter 10): Are dumb & dumber here evil?_

Thanks for the review, Daniel. Um, what do you mean by that? Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 10): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thank you, Jason, glad to see that you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _He23t (Chapter 10): Boredom, Depression and Longing. Ben is really struggling to find the meaning of what his heart is telling him. Corny but true._

Thanks for the review, He23t. Yeah, he really is trying to figure out just what is wrong with him. But hey, we all went through adolescence at one point, didn't we? So, what are we to do? Thanks for the review, as always.

 _SimmerGirlXo (Chapter 10): Im a straightforward person, so I'd honestly confront the person weather or not the relationship is already uneasy… Avoidance will be too frustrating… I mean look at him, he has fallen behind on his studies, even ditched school because he's overthinking the situation…_

 _But I do get what you're saying…its just that I don't see the point of ditching your life because you're afraid of the 'what ifs' is all …Anway another amazing chapter …Though Ms Hurt, made my brain hurt lol like ahhh missss that's not back talking …Hope Ben doesn't have to encounter her again …Yikes …Cant wait for the next installment_

Thanks Simmer, I'm glad that you were looking forward to more. And I see _your_ point. It's just that I'm pretty shy in real life and confrontations don't usually go well for me. Avoidance is just the favorable alternative, to me. And trust me, Ms. Hurt made my brain, too. Especially in real life!

The last couple chapters. Ben's scenario were parts of my life in a few ways. Last year, I was pulled out of my classes and placed in the counseling center to catch up on my English grade. So, there I am, sitting at my computer station, waiting for the prompt to skip an ad while listening to music on YouTube, when Ms. Hurt approached me and told me that "you're hear to work, not watch movies".

Mind you, I didn't "talkback" to her. I just put my phone away without a word to her and she walked away, to leave me to my work. There's the inspiration behind that scene, I actually went through the exact same thing, although, again, I didn't "backtalk". Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 10): Wow, Ms. Hurt needs to calm down. But Ben finally sees the truth. Things should get interesting now._

Yeah, she really needed to calm down. Thanks for the review, Car. You're right, we should begin to see progress now. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _xhope14x (Chapter 10): Oh if that was me I would just shoved my phone in my pocket and said screw you._

Thanks, Hope. I'm honestly surprised that three people, let alone one person, commented on the whole "Ms. Hurt situation". And if I had said "screw you", even if that situation had happened for me, let's just say that I would have had a few things to worry about other than my English grade.

Then again, this is a hypothetical situation that never happened for me, as well as a fictional event, that we're talking about, so I suppose I shouldn't look too far into it. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben bargains with his Mom for one night of freedom. Gwen gets asked out on a date.


	13. Chapter 12: Failed Date Night

Chapter 12: Failed Date Night

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Twelve!

* If you guys are questioning the nature between Ben and Gwen in the last several chapters, well, you can rest easy now. This chapter will consist of pretty much the last heartache between the two. I only say heartache because I can't come up with another word.

* Not much else that I can say here, so on with the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _Late April_

 _So, this was it. Gwen's "infamous date with Brad Miller". Brad was one of the jocks at our school and he asked out Gwen because of how hot she was. What a surprise, right? I mean sure, Gwen is HOT. But, I wouldn't ask her out because of that fact. I wasn't a pervert like that. I'm not saying that he touched Gwen in any way like that, it's just that he wanted to get into her pants._

 _And it's an obvious fact. Almost every boy at our high school gave Gwen looks ever since she had transferred. I was probably the only boy who didn't give her those looks, because it wasn't right. But that's not what I'm here to tell you about. I'm here to tell you about how it went._

Madison High School had it its own courtyard directly outside of the cafeteria's scramble area. During the later fall and winter months, the courtyard would always be closed off. But at the end of March every year, the staff would open it up to the students.

During the time that it was open, students could go out there and eat lunch, toss a few footballs back and forth to one another, or just study instead of eating lunch. Today, I was doing the latter. Since it was good weather the week before May started, I decided to sit out in the courtyard and study for my Trigonometry test I had tomorrow, while I ate lunch.

So, I was sitting there with my lunch tray next to me, Trig textbook open in my lap and earbuds in, listening to music when it happened. Someone started lightly kicking my foot.

"What?" I asked, before looking up, to see Gwen standing there with a bright look on her face.

I let out a sigh as I paused the music playing on my phone and took out my earbuds.

"Um, hi?" I asked.

She walked over to my side and sat down next to me.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look I'm doing?" I asked. "I'm studying for my Trig test!"

She nodded.

"I can see that." She said.

"Then why'd you ask?" I said, as I picked up the plastic fork that sat on my tray.

She shrugged as I used the fork pick up a piece of peach from the container of peaches that I hadn't touched yet.

"I don't know." She said.

I brought the fork close to my mouth, about to take the piece of peach off of the fork, when she did something that surprised me. She beat me to it and took the piece of peach off the fork and began chewing it up. I just looked at her with surprise.

"Come on Gwen, get your own!" I said as I reached for another piece of peach.

"But it tastes so much better when it's stolen!" she said, giggling as she took that piece, too.

"Gwen, knock it off!" I exclaimed, as I laughed, being unable not to laugh.

Eventually, she stopped trying to eat my food. I went back to looking at my open textbook.

"So, I just came by to tell you that I'm going to the movies tonight." She said. "Do you want to come with?"

As soon as she asked me that, the nightmare flashed into my head. I tried my best not to show any signs that I was uncomfortable. I finally shook my head.

"No." I said as I looked back up at her. "I'm still grounded and the only place I'm allowed to go is to and from school."

Gwen gave me a look of sympathy.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said.

We sat together in silence after that. Eventually she sighed and got up off of the ground.

"Well, alright then." She said. "I guess I'll see you later then. Have a good day."

"Right back at you." I said as she walked off.

I put my earbuds back in and went back to studying. It was only once she had been gone for a while that I realized it. If she was going to the movies tonight, I wanted to go with her. But I couldn't. I was definitely in love with Gwen and I hated that fact.

 _Gwen_

 _Earlier That Morning_

I opened up my locker to grab my textbook. I fetched my Chemistry textbook and closed my locker, and was about to walk away, when I someone walked up to me. I looked over, to see one of the school's Jocks standing next to me.

"Hi, Gwen!" he said.

I wasn't too sure what his name was, but he obviously knew me. I etched at my brain to remember this guy's name.

 _It's Bart, isn't it? No, wait. It's Brett! No, that's not either…_

I was nervously thinking to myself about what his name was, and I couldn't figure it out. So, I decided to risk it and guess.

"It's uh, Brad, isn't it?" I asked him.

He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, Brad Miller." He said.

"What uh, what can I do for you?" I asked.

Brad just stood there for a second, looking as if he were thinking. After a couple more seconds passed, he eventually spoke.

"Um, here's the thing, Gwen." He said. "We don't really know each other that well and I think that I'd like to get to know you better…"

"Uh-huh." I said, nodding for him to go on.

"So, that being said, would you think that it would be okay if I, you know," he continued to speak, stumbling with his words on multiple occasions. "If I asked you to the movies tonight?"

I just stood there for a few seconds, thinking to myself.

 _Say no, Gwen,_ I thought to myself. _This is a direct violation of your feelings towards Ben. You are in love with him. You don't want to hurt him!_

And then, the moral side of my brain kicked in.

 _But let's face it. The guy's your cousin. Is it really right to be in love with him? You shouldn't have these feelings for him, Gwen. You should say yes. Get your love for Ben off of your mind, because you know it's not right for you to be in love with him._

And of course, I chose the worst option. Brad stood there with a questioning look. Eventually, as small smile grew on my face.

"Yeah." I said. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

He smiled back at me.

"Okay." He said. "Well okay, that's great! So, I'll pick you up at, say, seven thirty tonight?"

I nodded.

"Sounds great." I said without hesitation.

"Okay, that's great!" he said as he began walking away. "I'll see you later, Gwen!"

"Bye!" I said, turning and waving to him.

Meanwhile, as I waved at him, something didn't feel right. I don't know why, but for some reason, it felt as though my gut was screaming at me that I had just done the worst thing I could have possibly done. I lowered my hand, for some reason being anxious and sad now.

 _Had I just done the right thing?_

For some reason now, I wanted Ben to come along with us. Great, I was going on a date and I wanted to ask the boy that I _really_ loved to come with us. That's amazing. I forced a sigh, before I walked away from my locker.

 _I suppose I'll find Ben at lunch and talk to him about it…_

 _Ben_

 _Later That Afternoon_

As soon as I got home from school that day, I ran in through the front door in search of Mom. I shut the door behind me and dropped my backpack at my feet and walked towards the kitchen, where I saw her, doing the dishes.

"Mom!" I exclaimed.

She jumped at splattered her shirt with hot water. She turned to face me, with a look of annoyance.

"What the hell are you doing, Ben?" she asked, scolding me. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry." I said as I stood there, trying to catch my breath from practically running all the way home. "I, uh, where's Dad?"

Mom turned back to the sink, seeming as though she were no longer angry.

"He had to work late tonight." She said. "He'll be home at around nine."

"Oh, okay." I said.

"Why? What is it?" she asked. "What did you need or want?"

"I know that I've been good lately." I said. "I've been following the conditions of my punishment, haven't I?"

"Yes…" Mom said as she turned her head, giving me a look of suspicion. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm asking because I want something." I said.

"Well, I'm not sure that I can oblige." Mom said as she turned back to the dishes. "See, you're grounded, Benjamin. The whole thing about being grounded is learning your lesson and not being able to ask for things."

"Mom, will you please just hear me out?" I asked. "Please?"

She heaved a sigh and for some reason, I felt as though she were rolling her eyes at this time.

"Fine." She said. "What do you want?"

"I want time out of the house." I said. "I think after these couple weeks, I think that I've earned it."

She suddenly dropped everything and spun around to face me with an irritated look on her face.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no!" she said. "You are _grounded_ , Benjamin Tennyson! Didn't I tell you that? And also, not leaving the house except to and from school is a part of that criteria!"

I looked down as I nodded, before looking back up.

"I understand that, Mom." I said. "But please, I feel like I deserve a reward! Please, if you let me out tonight just to get some fresh air, I won't ask for anything else until graduation! I won't even ask to have my electronics back!"

"No." she said in a firm tone.

"Please." I said.

"No." she said.

"Please. Mom. I'm asking you here…" I began to speak but she interrupted me before I could make a point.

"No." she said as she looked at the floor. "I can't let you out, Benjamin."

"How about I make a deal with you?" I asked.

"Nope, no." she said, still staring at the floor. "You can't bribe me, Ben."

"Not a bribe." I said. "More of an eye for an eye sort of thing."

She didn't say anything, nor did she look up.

"Will you just let me talk?" I asked.

She let out a sigh.

"Okay, fine." She said. "Talk."

"If you let me out tonight, just for one night, I will do all of the chores around the house all day on Saturday." I said.

She looked up at me and I saw a flash in her eyes. It was like I had just gave her a deal that she couldn't refuse. She looked at me for several seconds.

"If you do chores for half of the day and then your homework for half of the day, you have yourself a deal." She finally said.

"Okay." I said. "Deal."

"Alright, then." She said. "Then you can go out tonight."

"Shake on it." I said.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Let's shake on it." I said. "That way you can't back out of the deal."

"I'm not going to back out from a deal I made with my son." She said.

"Will you just shake my hand?" I asked impatiently.

She finally sighed, gave in and shook my hand. She stared me in the eyes as we shook.

"Go out and have fun tonight. You won't get anything else." She said in a serious tone. "Oh, and your curfew is ten. I want you back here by ten o'clock, or there will be trouble."

She turned back around once we were done shaking hands. I just stared at her with a nervous expression.

"Um, Mom?" I asked. "What trouble will there be?"

She didn't say anything.

"Mom?" I asked in a nervous tone.

"Just go, Benjamin." She said. "You won't have to worry about anything as long as you're back on time."

I looked around with excitement.

 _What was I waiting for? I had to shower, I had to be ready to see Gwen tonight!_

I ran out of the room to go get ready.

 _A Few Hours Later_

I walked out of my bedroom, having showered and gotten into some decent clothes. When Mom saw me, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"Well, well. You look… decent…" she said. "Where are you headed?"

"No where in particular." I said. "I'm going to the movies."

"Oh, okay." She said. "Have fun. Be back here by ten o'clock."

"Don't worry, I will." I said as I walked towards the door with my car keys in my hand.

I closed the door behind me and walked outside, just as the sun was beginning to set. I walked to my car and got in. Once I started the car, I pulled out of the driveway.

 _Later_

On my way to the movies, I stopped by a flower stand. While I was there, I bought a bouquet of roses that I planned to give to Gwen. Once I had that, I got back in my car and drove all the way down to the movie theater, the same movie theater that had been in my nightmare some weeks back. Once I got there, I went inside with the bouquet of roses and waited.

 _Gwen_

 _Half An Hour Later_

Brad and I eventually came out of the movie theater, with him having his arm around my waist. And for some reason, I didn't really care. We walked down the hall and back to the concessions area, which had the doors to the front of the theater, where we could also exit. And then, I saw him.

Through the crowd of people, I could have sworn that I saw Ben standing there, with a bouquet of roses in his hand. But before I could get a second look at him, a group of people passed by us and he was gone. I had stopped in my tracks at this point.

"Hey, are you alright?" Brad asked me.

I turned to look at him, to see that he was looking at me strangely.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "I just thought that I saw someone."

Brad didn't question who.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He said, as he bent down to kiss me.

Now, opposed to him having his arm around me, _kissing him_ felt wrong. So, at the last second, I turned a little bit and he kissed my cheek. He was silent for a few seconds before I heard him chuckle.

"That's alright, we can work on that." He said.

We started walking towards the exit again after that.

 _Ben_

I saw Gwen come out of the movie theater, but she wasn't alone. I saw her with Brad Miller, one of the most popular jocks in school. That hurt. Seeing that felt like having a band-aid ripped off me. And seeing her with Brad wasn't the worst part. She saw me. And we made eye contact with each other.

Just then, a group of people passed in front of me and I saw a chance to disappear, and so I took it. I quickly side stepped into the men's restroom. I stood there, still holding the bouquet of roses, as well as my face being flushed.

I still couldn't believe that she was with Brad Miller. I was so embarrassed by the thought of her seeing me holding that bouquet of roses. And at that moment, I realized that I was still holding the bouquet of roses.

I looked down at the bouquet and tossed it into the trash bin to my left. I stood there for several more minutes until I thought that the coast was clear. I stepped back out into the concessions area. They were gone. I let out a sad sigh.

"Well, time to go home." I said to myself in a sad tone.

I walked out of the theater and back to the car without a second thought.

 _Fifteen Minutes Later_

After pulling my car back into the driveway and shutting it off, I walked into the house with a glum look on my face. Unfortunately, Mom was sitting on the couch and saw me come in. She gave me a strange look.

"Ben, what are you doing back here already? Your curfew isn't for another thirty minutes!" she said, as she noticed how down I looked. "Hey, what's your problem?"

I ignored her question and answered with another question.

"Where's Dad?" I asked. "Isn't he supposed to be back by now?"

"He's in the shower after a long day at work." She said. "What's your problem?"

I sighed as I looked down at the floor as I sat down with my back to the loveseat.

"I got stood up." I said in a glum tone.

She looked at me with surprise.

"You got stood up?" she asked. "Like stood up by a girl?"

I looked up at her.

"No, by a guy." I said with sarcasm.

"Ben." She said in a serious tone, shooting me a disapproving glance.

"Yes, by a girl." I said as I shot her a glare.

"Don't look at me like that." She said. "You asked a girl out on a date?"

"Not just any girl." I lied as I looked down. "I asked out the girl that I liked."

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

I looked up at her.

"What?" I asked in a surprised tone.

"Why would you ask someone on a date?" she asked. "You knew that you were grounded, Benjamin."

I got up from the floor with a look of anger on my face, as I heard the bathroom door open.

"You know what? Thanks." I said with sarcasm. "I thought that you'd be happy that I finally got the guts do something like this, but it's good to know otherwise."

I walked towards the hall to my room.

"Ben." Mom called to me with a serious tone.

I kept walking past Dad, as he gave me a strange look. I got to my closed door and was about to open it when I heard them talking.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"He went out and got stood up by a girl." Mom said.

"You let him out?!" Dad asked with surprise. "That's against the terms of his punishment!"

"Ugh, we'll talk about it tomorrow." She said. "I'm too tired to talk about this."

A look of anger came over my face once again as I opened my door and slammed it shut behind me. I walked into my room and threw my shoes off. I was angry, and I also felt like I was going to cry. If that were the case, I must have really loved Gwen. It couldn't be so serious if it weren't that way.

 _I can't do this, I can't do this,_ I thought as I got up off of the bed. _I can't do this._

I went over to my closet, opened the door and pulled out a bag out. I walked over to my dresser and got a piece of paper. I sat back down on the bed with a folder to hold the paper down onto as I wrote.

 _Can't do this, can't do this,_ I thought. _Here is not here, here is not here._

I began writing my note:

 _Everyone,_

 _I just can't do this anymore. I can't live like this. I can't live with all of the pain, the frustrations and the difficulty of my current situation. So, I won't live with it. I have to get out before I lose my mind. I just have to get out before…_

 _Can't do this, can't do this,_ I thought as I stopped writing. _I can't go through with this._

I looked down at the note, tears coming to my eyes from the concept of just leaving this life behind.

 _You can't do this, man,_ I thought. _If you have to get out, at least make it to graduation. It would be expected for you to leave now, while it's toughest. So, leave when they least expect it._

I sighed and crumbled up the note I had been writing and threw it into the corner, out of sight, out of mind.

 _I would make it to graduation. If I had to leave at any time, it would be after graduation. Who knows? Maybe I would get used to this life. But anyway, as for next time, Gwen would confront me about that night, after calling it off with Brad of course. But that's a story for another day._

 _Gwen_

 _That Night_

Ever since Brad had brought me home, I had felt bad. Now laying in my bed, I felt bad. I couldn't stop thinking of Ben.

 _Had he really been there? Was he not there? Was he on a date? I thought he was grounded? Were the flowers for me?_

Don't get me wrong, the whole date with Brad went great. Except for when we walked out of the theater and I saw Ben. Or at least I thought I did. After that point, the date just seems worse. If Ben were really there, I felt bad for making him see me with Brad and we weren't even in a relationship!

But once again, I felt guilty for some reason. So, that's when I decided what I was going to do. I was going to break up with Brad in the morning.

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's the chapter for today!

* As I said at the beginning of the chapter, this was the last "big heartbreak" between Ben and Gwen. It's going to be almost smooth sailing for here on out.

* What do you think of the failed date night? Is it right for Ben to momentarily break down a bit after what he saw? Is it right to keep everything from his parents? Anyway, I can't think of anything else that needs to be said.

* Anyway, I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _xhope14x (Chapter 11): Another great chapter also couldn't the guidance counselor get in trouble because they're not supposed to give out information unless it's self-harming to yourself or to anybody else they're supposed to keep it on a private need-to-know basis kind of like a therapist I mean granted I don't think the school would really do anything but ben has every right to refuse to talk to him now though I mean I guess you can look at the thing of him not really eating and him not focusing a little bit as being self-harming but still I would be really pissed that supposed to have my trust betrays me another small thing that irks me is how his parents are acting to all this they act like it's a life-or-death situation._

Yeah, I do see where you're coming from and I do appreciate your outlook on the situation. It may be illegal or at least unethical for guidance counselors to disclose information regarding their students, even to the parents. But there is the fact that Ben's parents paid for Ben's education and they do want to know why their son is shutting down and just shutting everyone out of his life.

And they did contact his counselor, they asked him to speak with Ben and try to get anything useful out of him, regarding his situation and he did, and they got the information they wanted. Once again, I appreciate your outlook, but ultimately at the end of the day, this is a fictional story with fictional characters. And yes, I'd hate the person who betrayed my trust as well. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _He23t (Chapter 11): Well at least it's an improvement for Ben but it's a long way to go before he can find the answer for his roller coaster of emotions. Question: Were Ben and Gwen fighting crimes during the whole semester secretly in the story?_

Yes, the chapter was a bit of an improvement. And yes again, we have a bit of a way to go. No, Ben and Gwen were not fighting crime. This is an alternate dimension where Ben never got the Omnitrix and it is never explicitly stated that Gwen is a Human-Anodite hybrid. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Daniel6 (Chapter 11): The two teachers that gave Ben Hell last chapter._

Thanks for the review, Daniel. Okay, I get what you mean by that. My bad. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 11): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks Jason, glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 11): Rough time for Ben. But what's this? Gwen on a date…That's not good._

Thanks, Car. Yeah, it's a rough time for Ben. And yeah, we saw that the date wasn't good. It didn't exactly end well. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Gwen dumps Brad. Ben is condemned to chores all day Saturday and during so, Gwen comes to visit him.


	14. Chapter 13: How It's Gotta Be

Chapter 13: How It's Gotta Be

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Thirteen!

* So, in this chapter, Gwen will be dumping Brad. I can't say anymore than that, so let's get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _Late April_

 _So, Gwen broke up with Brad. Good riddance. I always hated that guy anyway. That Saturday I would be up to my elbows in chores. And that is also the day that Gwen would confront me about that night at the movie theater._

I woke up the next morning and despite the shitty night I had last night, I had gotten up with a more level head than I had had last night. I got dressed, combed my hair and then got my backpack on. I walked out into the hall and into the living, and as usual, Mom sat on the couch watching T.V.

"Ben." She said my name.

I looked at her with a straight face.

"What?" I asked.

"I realize that I was a bit unfair with you last night." She said. "So, I want to apologize. I'm sorry about what I said, Ben."

I shook my head.

"No." I said. "Not sorry. No apologies."

"Ben, I want you to listen." She said. "You're going to be working half of the day, tomorrow. So, I want you to take the day off today. After school, I want you to go out and half fun for the night. You deserve it after the way I spoke to you last night."

"No." I said again. "No days off. I work full time tomorrow. I'm grounded, and I need to accept my punishment."

Mom gave me a strange look.

"Is that sarcasm in your voice?" she asked.

"No." I said as I walked to the front door. "I'm going to school. I'll see you later."

"You haven't eaten your breakfast!" Mom said.

"I don't care." I said as I walked out the door.

 _Gwen_

 _A Couple Hours Later_

Keeping the promise that I had made last night, I walked up to Brad's locker, ready to break up with him. Well, was it even breaking up? We just went on one date, so you couldn't consider us to be dating, could you? Anyway, I stepped up to his locker and cleared my throat. Once he noticed me, he began to speak.

"Oh hey, Gwen!" he said as he caught sight of me.

He leaned down to kiss me and that sent me into a panic. So, just like last night, I turned my head, so he kissed my cheek. After I had done that, he gave me a strange look.

"Okay, Gwen." He said. "That's the second time that you've done that. Is there something wrong?"

I looked up at him and nodded. He just stared at me for a second.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

I just looked at him.

"Um, there's no easy way for me to say this." I said. "So, I'm just going to say it. I think we should see other people."

"You're dumping me?" he asked in an offended tone. "What about that amazing night we had?"

I chuckled.

"We went to the movies, Brad." I said.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Listen, Brad. I like you." I lied. "But I like someone else. And if I were to be with you, I wouldn't be able to express feelings for you and it wouldn't be fair to you."

He just looked at me.

"I'm sorry." I said, as I attempted to walk away.

"Wait!" he said as he suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Don't go!"

I turned to him and gave him a sad look.

"You deserve someone better worth your time." I said in a sad tone. "I'm sorry."

I forced him to let go of my wrist and walked away from him.

 _Ben_

 _The Next Day_

The next day, as I said I would, I was sitting in the living room, dusting the furniture. As I kept working, Mom walked into the room.

"You're doing pretty good." She said.

"Thanks." I said.

"Um, can't you take even a little bre…"

"Nope." I said, interrupting her.

Mom walked away without another word after that. An additional five or ten minutes passed, before there was a knock at the front door. I ignored it and kept working. After that, Mom walked back into the room and opened the door.

"Oh hi, Gwen." I heard her say from the door.

Gwen began to speak, but I couldn't hear what she was saying.

"Yes, he's here." Mom said. "I'll go get him for you."

Mom walked back into the living room and stopped behind me.

"Ben, Gwen is here." He said. "She wants to talk to you."

"I'm working." I said without hesitation.

"Get out there and talk to your cousin." Mom said. "She came all the way here to talk to you."

I let out a sigh as I got up, leaving my hand towel on the shelf.

"Okay, fine." I said, before I walked to the front door.

I walked outside to see Gwen standing a few feet from the door. She was wearing tennis shoes, normal denim jeans and a leather jacket worn over a tank top.

"Hey." We said with unison, resulting in the both of us blushing.

We both stood there in silence, just looking at each other, both us still blushing. That made me have to wonder: Did Gwen like me, too?

"So, what brings you here?" I asked.

The blush disappeared from her cheeks and she straightened up.

"So, I had a date with Brad Miller on Thursday." She said.

I looked at her.

"Really?" I asked. "That's good! You know, seeking championship! Good for you, Gwen!"

She just looked at me.

"I dumped him, Ben." She said.

"Really?" I asked. "Why?"

"I'm in love with someone else." She said. "And it wouldn't be fair of him for me to keep dating him."

"You're in love with someone else?" I asked. "Who?"

Gwen just smiled.

"If you're smart, you'll know." She said.

 _Was she trying to silently hint to me that she liked me?_

Neither of us said anything at this point. I eventually looked down.

"Ben?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah?" I asked as I looked up at her, for some reason my voice had a hopeful tone to it.

"Were at the movies that night?" she asked.

"No." I said, shaking my head.

She shot me a disapproving glance.

"Cut the crap, Ben." She said. "I saw you there. I knew you were there."

I looked down in shame.

"Ben?" she asked after a few seconds.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Were the flowers for me?" she asked.

I looked up at her and eventually nodded, even though I wanted to lie. A light pink blush appeared on her face. We both looked away from each other now. We stood there in silence for what seemed like forever.

"Okay." She said. "I'm gonna go."

I nodded without looking up at her. I heard her beginning to walk away, but she stopped.

"And Ben?" she asked.

I looked up at her.

"Just so you know, in case there's a next time," she said. "My favorite flowers are yellow roses. Just so you know."

She turned back around and started to jog down the sidewalk.

 _Had she walked here?_

It was a nice enough day for it, so it made sense. I looked the other direction, before I walked back into the house.

 _And that's it for this time around. For next time's session, Gwen and I would be graduating from high school. And the final pieces would be falling in soon. But as I said, that's all for now._

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's the chapter for today! I hope you guys enjoyed!

* What did you guys think of how Gwen dumped Brad and the conversation that Ben and Gwen had?

* Alright, that's going to do it for me. I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _He23t (Chapter 12): Great chapter as always. Is Ben getting to a deep depression to a point that he might be thinking of suicide? That would be a sad way to go._

Thanks for the review, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. And no, Ben is not thinking about that. Not at all. I take that subject very seriously and I won't have it featured in this story. It's already being featured in another story and I'm too sure why. But anyway, I promise that Ben isn't thinking about that. Once again, I take that subject very seriously and I hate hearing that word, for personal reasons that I'd rather not get into. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _xhope14x (Chapter 12): I wonder if she will find out he was there or is she going to continue to think that it's because of the guilt and where she's in love with him. She was just seeing things man I hope they finally see what's right in front of them soon it sucks to seem them so torn up._

Thanks for the review, Hope. Well, I guess you found out that she knows that he was really there. Trust me, it won't be long now. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 12): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks for the review, Jason. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 12): Well something good came out of the date. It made it clear to Gwen who she really belongs with. But Ben though, to try telling Gwen how he feels and then see that. No wonder he was upset. Anyway, I'm glad the heartbreak is over. It will be nice to see their relationship get on track._

Yeah, something good did come out of it. Anyone could be upset if they were in Ben's shoes and they saw what he saw. The heartbreak is pretty much over at this point. There will be a small thing next chapter, but it won't last that long, I promise.Thanks for the review, as always.

 _niaj itsirhs (Chapter 1): just update next chapter ok…_

Thanks for the review. The next chapter will be out in a few days and I'm sorry if you want it sooner, but that's just the way I like post for this story. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben and Gwen graduate from high school. Gwen tries to hint her feelings toward Ben.


	15. Chapter 14: Graduation Day

Chapter 14: Graduation Day

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Fourteen!

* Nothing to say here, let's just get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _Mid-May_

 _It was the big day. Graduation Day was today. It was a Saturday afternoon, bright and sunny. Kevin was also planning a party that started at around four thirty and graduation ended at three o'clock. The graduation ceremony started at noon, if it mattered._

 _But Kevin's party would come in my next session of the story, so we may as well get to this one._

"Where is it?!" I exclaimed. "Where is it?!"

"Ben, Ben, calm down." I heard Mom reply. "What is it? What's missing?"

"My tie, my tie!" I exclaimed. "I can't find it!"

"It's under your bed." She said.

"What?" I asked.

"Well? Go ahead and look!" she said.

I looked under my bed. Sure enough, there it was. I let out a sigh as I picked it up and stood back up.

"Sorry." I said in a calmer tone.

Mom nodded with understanding.

"It's alright." She said. "I understand."

I put the tie around my neck and began attempting to tie it, but I was having problems. About half a minute of me trying to tie a tie passed and Mom spoke.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"I can't get my tie to tie." I said. "Can you help me, please?"

"Don't look at me." She said. "Go get your father."

I walked past her and out of my room, and into the living room.

"Dad!" I said. "Can you help me with my tie?"

"Sure thing, bud." He said, without looking at his newspaper. "Come here."

I walked up to him and he put the paper down, and within less then a minute, he had gotten the tie right.

"There you go." He said as he grabbed the paper and went back to looking at it.

"Thanks, Dad!" I said.

He looked up at me.

"Everything you've done in the last four years has led up to this moment." He said. "Congratulations."

I just looked at him.

"Thanks." I said.

I turned and walked back to my room, without another word. I still had a graduation to get ready for.

 _Twenty Minutes Later_

I sat in the passenger seat, in my graduation cap and gown.

"So, uh, your father and I are going to go away tonight." Mom said from behind me.

"Okay." I said.

"We thought that you might want to have the house to yourself tonight." She said. "You know, so you can get reacquainted with your technology."

"You can even invite a few friends over!" Dad suggested.

"What a great idea, Carl!" Mom said. "He can invite a few friends over!"

I rolled my eyes.

"There won't be any of that." I said. "There was some mighty talk about a party at Kevin's house after the ceremony."

"Oh!" Mom said. "Well, don't you want to go to that?"

"Yes." I lied. "I would very much like to go."

 _In reality, I really didn't want to go. Odds are, Gwen would be there, and I really didn't want to see her after what happened a few weeks ago. So, I most likely wouldn't go._

"So, why not go and then invite a few friends over for a little "after party" at our house?" Mom asked.

 _What a great idea,_ I thought with sarcasm.

"Sure." I found myself saying.

The rest of the ride to the Baptist Church was silent.

 _Twenty Minutes Later_

Mom, Dad and I parted ways past the entrance to the Church. While they went into the auditorium, I went two flights downstairs, to where all the future graduates were sitting in preparation for the graduation ceremony.

Once I got to the room, which was a big one, not feeling like talking to any of my friends, I sat down in my chair, which was right next to Gwen's chair. See, if you've ever been to a graduation of any kind, you know that the graduates always sit alphabetically.

Anyway, Gwen wasn't here yet, so I didn't have to suffer through the awkwardness of talking to her. Or, not talking to her, that is. But she did arrive about five minutes later. Naturally, I wanted to get up and hug her. But seeing as that except for J.T., Cash and Kevin, no one in the room knew that we were cousins. So, I wanted to save the embarrassment for another time. Like, never, for example?

She must have been thinking the same thing, because she never got up to hug me. So naturally, it only seemed natural of us at this point, we both sat next to each other in silence, about five minutes until we'd be called up to the auditorium. I had finally worked up the courage to speak to her, but she beat me to it. I had my hand up, about to speak, when she spoke first.

"Um, I'm going to talk to my friends over there." She said. "I'll see you later."

She got up and left me alone in silence. I sighed and looked down as I was left alone.

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

Finally, once we were up in the auditorium, and once the opening words had passed and the awards that were given to "academically outstanding students", the real ceremony began. For some reason, I was dreading having to walk across that stage. Something deep down inside made me really nervous.

And then, Gwen did something that surprised me. Her hand traveled over to my lap and she began feeling around, until she found my hand and took hold of it, squeezing it. Out of instinct, my hand intertwined with hers and I held her hand.

But it didn't feel right, holding her hand. Now that's the weird thing. You're probably thinking, it felt wrong, right? Wrong. The wrong thing about holding her hand, is that it felt right. Good. And I didn't like that. I didn't like how it didn't feel right. I turned to look at her.

"Hey, do you mind?" I whispered to her.

She turned to face me. I couldn't tell what look was in her emerald eyes. Finally, she seemed to get the hint.

"Oh, right." She said as she let go of my hand. "Sorry."

She looked away and back towards the stage. And eventually, I did the same.

 _Gwen_

There was this one small moment about five minutes earlier. I thought about myself walking across that stage after Ben just about half an hour from now or so. I also got to thinking about my future, what I would do for a job, who I would marry, what would my kids look like, stuff all like that.

And it freaked me out. And a whole lot. It freaked me out a whole lot. I began to feel nauseous and I also felt alone. I had to know that I wasn't alone. So, I reached over to Ben and felt around for his hand. And when I found his hand, I took it in mine and squeezed it. And I felt his fingers intertwine with mine.

I felt so much better now. His hand felt so warm in mine. And it felt right, too. I wanted to do nothing but hold his hand. I could have sat there for the entire time, just holding his hand. But that's when he spoke.

"Hey, do you mind?" he whispered to me.

I turned to look at him. He was giving me one of those looks. Eventually I had to do something.

"Oh, right." I said as I let go of his hand. "Sorry."

I looked away from him and back up towards the stage.

 _Ben_

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

I watched as Gwen walked across the stage. I stood in line, waiting to be signaled to go up on the stage. About a minute later, I was allowed up on the stage. And that's when it hit me.

 _Oh my God, I'm in love with Gwen. I had always known, but after holding her hand and now, for some reason, it hit me._ I thought. _I just can't do this. I can't sit back and accept the fact that I'm in love with her. Even if she loved me, this was something that we couldn't show in public. So, I couldn't do it. I wanted out of this family. I was getting out tonight._

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed!

* If anyone is at all interested, this would be the last time that there is narration from Ben at the beginning and end of chapters. From this point on, he's pretty much experiencing the story for the first time, just as much as you are, if that makes sense.

* I won't mention any happenings for the next chapter. I will however say that next chapter may or may not be a double-sized chapter. So, I'm going to go. Have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _He23t (Chapter 13): Guess Ben is happy now that he has still a chance to end up with Gwen but when are they gonna be more than cousins, that's the big question. I feel Brad is not willing to let Gwen go after the break up and I feel something sinister will happen._

I wouldn't say that he's happy _now_ , but he will be real soon. They'll become more than cousins soon, I promise. And as much as I like the idea, Brad isn't going to do anything. I've already written the full story and Brad isn't slated to do anything. So, sorry. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 13): Great chapter. Looks like they're going in the right direction._

Thanks, Car. Yeah, they'll be heading in the right direction soon. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 13): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks, Jason. Glad to see that you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _xhope14x (Chapter 13): This one felt shorter than the other ones also yes they are finally coming to realize they love each other and they're both seem like they're starting to move in the right Direction and to be honest I thought you were to end it before they got out of high school but it's cool to see that you are continue it after that_

Thanks, Hope. Yes, it was meant to be shorter than the rest of the chapters. And also yes, I am continuing it after they leave high school, although not for long after. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Guest Review (Chapter 1): Dating cousins used to be a normal thing back then, though barely happens today. Still possible, but people will look at it weirdly._

Yeah, it was a normal thing a _long_ time ago. And you're also right about one thing, it would be looked at weirdly today, perhaps even frowned upon in some places. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben considers leaving after graduation. Ben gets a call from Gwen and she convinces him to go to Kevin's party. Ben and Gwen consummate their love.


	16. Chapter 15: Confessions

Chapter 15: Confessions

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Fifteen, as well as possibly the most anticipated chapter for this story!

* I won't say anything regarding to the events of this chapter, so let's get right into it!

 _Ben_

 _Mid-May_

I was at home now, after graduation. The rest of it hadn't gone very well. After I had walked across the stage and returned to sit back down with Gwen, I waited for the rest of the ceremony to be over. Once it was over, we were instructed to return to the basement of the Baptist Church, a few flights down, to receive our diplomas.

See, back in the Cold War, the basement of the Baptist Church was used as a fallout shelter, due to the American fear that what our military had done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be done to us. You know, that we would be hit by nuclear fire. As I said, the basement would be used as a shelter, for V.I.P.s. You know, people more important than you or I?

Anyway, that's besides the point. I had gotten my diploma and I had actually wanted to talk to Gwen about what happened during the ceremony. But unfortunately, she was gone when I started looking for her after I received my diploma.

I had been looking for her for maybe ten minutes, when I got a very frantic "where are you?" text from Mom. I texted her back, saying that I'd be up and outside within five minutes, before I slipped my phone back into my pocket and gave up the search for Gwen. And that brings us around full circle. I stood in the corner of the living room as Mom and Dad brought their bags to the front door.

"Are you sure that you want us to go?" Mom asked.

"Mom." I said in a reassuring tone. "Just go. Have fun. You guys deserve it!"

"Okay, alright." She said. "Aren't you going to go to Kevin's party?"

"I'll go later." I lied.

"Well, okay." Mom said. "You have my cell number in case of emergency?"

"Mom…" I said again.

"What about the first aid kit?" she asked.

"Mom!" I said with annoyance. "Please, you guys should just go! You deserve a break!"

"Alright." She finally said. "If you say so."

Mom opened the door, picked up a few of the bags and before walking out, turned to look at me.

"We'll be back at noon on Sunday." She said. "Your father and I are going to a hotel and casino."

With that, she turned back around and walked out the door, leaving me with Dad. He stepped up to me.

"Congratulations, buddy." He said as he patted me on the shoulder.

He turned around and walked out the door. I stepped out on the stoop to wave to them.

"Thanks." I said to myself as I waved.

Once they had pulled out of the driveway and sped off down the road, waving the whole way, I walked back into the house and shut the door. I let out sigh as I locked the door and walked to my room.

I walked over to the crumbled up note that I had been in the process of writing the night that I saw Gwen with Brad. And now, I was ready to finish writing it. I uncrumpled it, straightened it out and read it, before I finished writing:

 _Everyone,_

 _I just can't do this anymore. I just can't live like this. I can't live with all of the pain, the frustrations and the difficulty of my current situation. So, I won't live with it. I have to get out before I lose my mind. I just have to get out before I lose myself._

 _And don't get the wrong idea. It's not you guys, it's me. I have a problem and I can't face it where I'm at now. So, I'm leaving. I'm packing a bag of clothes and I have enough money to get out of the state. Don't come looking for me, please. I need to work out these problems on my own._

 _And who knows? If I get over this problem, I might come back one day. Please, I don't want there to be hard feelings between all of us after this. Thank you for everything you've all done for me in my life. Goodbye. I'm sorry._

 _Love,_

 _Ben_

After I was done writing the letter, I left it on my bed and went to get a bag from my closet. I grabbed a decently sized duffel bag and threw it onto the bed next to the note. I walked over to my dresser and opened the bottom drawer.

I pulled out a few pairs of jeans and put them on the bed. I walked to my closet and grabbed a few shirts and a leather jacket. Once I had put them on the bed, I walked back to my dresser and pulled out a few pairs of socks as well as boxers.

I was about to start packing, when my phone began ringing. I looked at my phone sitting on my nightstand, to see that the caller ID told me that Gwen was calling me.

"Great." I muttered as I reached for it.

I picked up my phone and answered.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey," Gwen greeted me in a cheery tone. "What are you doing right now? Where are you?"

"I am, uh, hanging out at home. All by myself." I said. "The folks went out for the weekend."

"And you're going to go to Kevin's party, aren't you?" she asked.

I smiled a sort of sarcastic smile, even though she couldn't see me.

"You know, I've thought about it, and no, I'm not." I said. "I think I'm just going to hang out here for the night."

"But, why?" she asked. "Why wouldn't you want to come? Kevin bragged to me about his parties!"

"Yeah, I won't lie to you. All of his parties are ones for the book." I said, as I switched hands. "Wait, hold on. Why would you say that Kevin brags about his parties? Unless, you aren't there right now?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Gwen, are you even there right now?" I asked.

"Well," she said. "No…"

"Well, if you aren't there, then why are you asking me to go?" I asked. "Why would I want to go, when the person who asked me to go in the first place isn't going to be there?"

"Oh, I'll be there." Gwen said. "I just wanted to know if there would be a familiar face there before I decided whether or not to go."

Now, I was silent.

"Ben?" she asked on the other end.

"I'll think about it." I said, before I hung up.

I threw my phone onto my bed and let out a sigh of frustration.

 _Oh my God,_ I thought. _What am I gonna do?_

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

In the end, I decided to go the party before I left town. Once I drove up to Kevin's place and walked in to his house, I saw that there were at least forty or fifty graduates, easily, dancing and partying in his living room.

"Hey, Ben!" I heard Kevin call me over.

A glum look came onto my face as I walked over to him.

"Where've you been?" he asked over the noise of the blaring music. "Why are you just getting here now?"

"I've been contemplating." I said.

"Contemplating?" he asked. "Contemplating what?"

I decided not to answer.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said. "I'm just going to go keep to myself for most of the party."

"Um, okay?" Kevin asked as I walked off.

I stood in the corner of the room as the current song ended and a new one started, Boney M's Rasputin to be exact. I stood there for about a minute as I listened to the music:

" _Ra Ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen. There was a cat that really was gone."_ The singer sung. _"Ra Ra Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine. It was a shame how he carried on."_

And then it happened. I saw Gwen walking in through Kevin's front door. She was wearing short khaki shorts that stopped at just above the knee, simple tennis shoes and a T-shirt. My face flushed as I noticed her. She didn't seem to notice me yet, but I wasn't going to stick around to see if she did. I quickly turned around and walked into the kitchen.

I walked through the kitchen, to the back kitchen door. I pulled the door open, stepped outside and closed it. I walked out onto the backyards deck and down the stairs to the yard. You remember when I mentioned that Kevin had a big wooded area in his backyard? Well anyway, that's where I was headed. I wanted to be alone for a while and I was going to head out to a pond that was in the woods to skip rocks.

 _Gwen_

I had walked into the party, but I never saw him. So, while Kevin was in the kitchen getting more drinks, I walked up to him.

"Hey, Kevin." I said.

He turned to look at me.

"Oh, hey Gwen!" he said. "Welcome to the party!"

"Thanks." I said. "Um, have you seen Ben?"

Kevin looked as though he were thinking to himself for a second.

"Yeah, actually." He said. "I think I saw him headed outside to the back."

"Have any idea where he'd go?" I asked.

"Yeah. There's a pond that we all go down to every once and a while to skip rocks and talk about guy stuff." I said. "That's probably where he'll be."

"Guy stuff?" I asked. "What's guy stuff?"

"Hey, we don't talk about guy stuff around the girls!" he said. "It's like the guy equivalent of girls gossiping!"

"Whatever!" I said. "Will you just tell me where the pond is?"

"Yeah." He said as he turned back to the counter. "Just walk straight into the woods and keep going straight. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." I said as I walked to the door.

"Yep." He said.

 _Ben_

 _Ten Minutes Later_

I stood with in the shallow pond water my shoes and socks off, as well as my pant legs pulled up, as I skips rocks along the surface of the water.

"Tough day?" I heard Gwen's voice asked.

I turned around to look at her.

"You don't know the half of it, sister." I said as I turned back to the water, picking up another small rock as I did.

"Ben, can you come out of there please?" she asked.

"Why?" I asked. "What's the matter?"

"I think it's time that we talk." She said.

I was about to skip the rock across the water, but I didn't. I just held onto it.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked. "What do we need to talk about?"

"Why don't you just come out of the water, so you can find out?" she asked.

I sighed and dropped the rock. I turned around and walked out of the water. Gwen was sitting on a log, so I picked up my shoes and socks and went to go sit next to her.

"So, what is it?" I asked as I dried my feet off with my shirt.

"Um, I've noticed that we've been avoiding each other lately." She said. "Well, more "you've been avoiding me", but still."

"Yeah?" I said as I put my socks on.

There was silence now. I put one of my shoes on as I turned to look at her.

"Gwen?" I asked.

She looked up at me.

"Ben is there something the matter with me?" she asked. "Did I do something?"

I sighed as I put my other shoe on.

"Well, yes, actually." I said. "You did do something."

Gwen looked at me.

"What did I do?" she asked.

"Do we have to talk about it?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's what this is about." She said. "Us talking. So, talk."

I tied my shoes.

"Um, I know we agreed to never talk about this," I said as I looked back at her. "But since we're the only ones here, I'm just going to bring it up. It's about Valentine's Day. It was always about Valentine's Day."

Gwen had a troubled look on her face.

"You're mad that I brought it up, aren't you?" I asked.

She looked up at me and a look flashed from her eyes. She looked uneasy. Not mad, but uneasy.

"No." she sighed. "I'm just uneasy and I don't know why. Dare I ask, what about Valentine's Day?"

I sighed.

"It's everything about Valentine's Day. When we made out." I said as I looked at her. "When we fucked. I just, every time I see you, that's the only thing that comes to mind."

She had a calm look on her face. It's as if she didn't care that I mentioned the uh, ahem, "The Incident".

"Go on." She said.

"When I'm around you now, I feel uncomfortable." I said. "But at the same time, I feel content and I don't know why."

She didn't say anything.

"Gwen, I've been thinking that I want to talk now." I said as I continued looking at her. "You told me that I'd always be able to tell you anything. So, is it too late for me to talk and for you to just listen?"

The look on her face softened.

"Of course, Ben." She said. "If you want to talk, then talk. That's all I want to do is talk. We never talk for more than five minutes anymore. So, just talk to me, will you?"

"Um, I'm not sure where to start." I said.

"Just start wherever you feel comfortable, Ben." She said.

I continued looking at her.

"Okay, um, let's see." I spoke. "Um, it hurt, when it was awkward with us. And it kind of still is."

She nodded.

"I know." I said. "I was there."

"Gwen," I said. "Does it hurt, when you're around me, because of the history we have?"

She nodded, as she smiled a small smile, which kind of surprised me.

"Yeah. Yeah, it does." She said. "If it weren't for the fact of our history, I would want to be around you all the time."

I put my head into my hands.

"Oh, Gwen. I'm sorry." I said. "I've been an ass trying to avoid you."

"Ben, just keep talking." She said. "I told you that I'm going to sit here and listen."

"I'm not sure what I can and can't say." I said.

"Just say whatever you want to say." Gwen said. "I don't want there to be any more tension or secrets between us."

I looked down at the ground as I tried to figure out what to say. I finally looked back up at Gwen.

"I hated not being able to talk to you." I said.

"Well, I'm here now." She said. "So, seriously. Talk. I'm willing to listen, even if I said I wouldn't earlier."

I sighed.

"I hate the awkward tension between us." I said.

"You said that already."

"I did?"

"Yes."

I sat there once more, thinking to myself. I looked at Gwen once again.

"You remember that morning last month," I asked. "When you called and asked if I wanted to walk to school with you?"

"Yes." She said.

"Well, in all honesty, I _did_ want to walk to school with you." I said.

She looked confused now.

"So, why didn't you?" she asked.

It was time to tell her about my nightmare.

"Gwen, I think it's time to tell you about the nightmare that I had that night." I said.

"Ben, you don't have to." She said. "Besides, I'd want to tell you about my nightmare first."

"Well, okay." I said. "Then, let's compare notes like you said. Tell me about it."

She looked down at the grass and I could have sworn that I saw a bright red blush on her cheeks.

"In my dream, I was convinced by a friend to ask you out on a date." She said, quivering nervously as she spoke. "It went well, and we made out. But, my friend also told me that I should tell you that the date meant nothing to me. And so, I did."

 _Gwen had the same nightmare that I had?_

"And once I woke up from the nightmare, I felt so guilty about treating you like that." Gwen said. "Even if it was just a dream."

Gwen said nothing after that. I stared at the ground, just like she was doing.

"So," Gwen said, finally getting the courage to speak. "What was your dream about?"

I looked up at her, but she didn't return my gaze.

"The same." I said.

She turned to look at me with a confused look on her face.

"What?" she asked with confusion in her voice.

"I had the same dream as you did." I said.

She just looked at me with shock. Eventually she was able to speak again.

"B-But what does that mean?" she asked with surprise.

"I don't know." I said as I looked back down.

"Ben," she said at last. "What else is there?"

I turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I want to know if there's anything else you're keeping from me." She said.

 _Could I really tell her that I loved her? Could I really bring myself to do it?_

"Um, okay." I said. "Well, I was hurt when I saw you at the movies with Brad."

Gwen now had a confused, but sympathetic look on her face.

"Ben?" she asked.

I ignored her saying my name and kept talking.

"And a while ago, at graduation, when you took hold of my hand, I actually liked it." I said. "But yet, I don't understand why I made you let go of my hand. If I could, I would want to hold your hand, I'd even want to go as for as hold you in my arms."

The sympathetic confused look remained on Gwen's face.

"Ben," she said. "What are you saying?"

I let out a sigh as I looked at the ground.

"Gwen, I love you." I said.

There was complete silence around us now. I was scared to look up at Gwen to see the look on her face. Nevertheless, I worked up the courage to look up at her. There was shocked expression on her face now and it looked like she had jumped back away from me. I sighed as I looked back down.

"See, Gwen? This is why I didn't want to tell you." I said. "I knew that you would react this way."

"Ben." She said in a light tone.

"I didn't see a good way out in telling you about my feelings." I said. "I came up with multiple choices. I could tell you, I could not tell you or I could…"

Gwen surprised me when she moved closer to me and grabbed my chin. She turned my head so I faced her and then pushed her lips against mine.

"Mmm!" was the only sound that I made as our lips touched.

My eyes widened as she kissed me. And I saw that her eyes were closed, so that made me think that she had wanted this. So, had she been in love with me, too? As she kissed me, it felt as though my brain melted in my body. I could barely comprehend what was happening.

Her hands felt incredible on my face. She continued to kiss me and didn't let go. About maybe another thirty seconds of kissing, we parted, and she gave me a little smile.

"What?" I asked with confusion.

She chuckled.

"Why didn't you just tell me earlier?" she asked.

"I wasn't expecting you to react like this!" I said. "I thought that you would call me crazy, I thought…"

Gwen interrupted me by kissing me again. This time as she put her hands on my chin, she allowed my hands to travel down her sides and rest on her waist. She gently pushed me down onto the log, continuing to kiss me as she did so. We eventually pulled away again and she eyed me with a loving gaze.

"I love you too, Ben." She said at last.

I laid there and did nothing but gently rub her back.

"Gwen, I…" I began to speak, only to be interrupted.

"Shh." She whispered in a soothing tone. "Don't ruin the moment."

My hands trailed up to her face and I began running my fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp.

"Ah!" she let out a light gasp of pleasure, to which I smiled.

"I've always wanted to do that." I said, as I continued doing it.

As I continued massaging her scalp, Gwen struggled not to moan, biting her lips and humming for the whole time. Eventually though, she interrupted me.

"Ben?" she asked.

"Hmm?" I asked as I stopped massaging her scalp. "Are you alright? Am I doing something wrong?"

"No, you're doing fine, Ben. That feels amazing!" she said, as she looked away from me. "It's just… it's just…"

"Gwen, what is it?" I asked with curiosity.

She finally looked back at me and I saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Take me home with you tonight." She said with a suggestive smile on her face.

 _Later That Night_

 _Ben's House_

Several hours later, Gwen and I were back at my house. In my bedroom, our clothes were strewn all over the floor. Gwen and I were completely naked, and I laid on top of her underneath the covers of my bed. We made out feverishly as I used my hands to explore her naked body and she did the same. Eventually we parted, and I gazed at her with an infatuation-infected look.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you, too." She said.

"Are you sure that you want to do this, Gwen?" I asked. "I love you, but I don't to hurt you. And if it's too early, then…"

"Shh." She whispered as she put her finger on my lips, shushing me.

I stared down at her as she gazed lovingly up at me.

"This is going to be fine, Ben." She said. "You have nothing to worry about."

"But what about Valentine's Day?" I asked. "After that, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable…"

"Forget Valentine's Day, Ben. That doesn't count." She said. "Tonight will be our _real_ first time."

I could feel my ears turning red as she said that. I looked away from her for a second.

"Hey." She said in a soothing tone as she touched my cheek.

I turned my head back to look at her as she gently rubbed my cheek.

"Don't think." She whispered to me. "Don't have second thoughts. Tonight is our night, Ben."

As she said this, she reached her hand to my nightstand, where my lamp sat.

"And tonight, all I want is for you to show me what it means to be a woman." She said, as she turned the light off.

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's the chapter. I hope that all of the waiting leading up to this moment was worth it!

* Next chapter, Ben and Gwen will adjust to their new relationship. I know you guys probably wanted at least some details about what happened and a lot of you probably don't think that all of the words exchanged between them doesn't make up for the lack of "details". Well, I don't like writing lemons. I've never been good at it. But, if you're lucky, there might be a flashback scene next chapter.

* Anyway, that's going to do it for me. I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _He23t (Chapter 14): Ben just realize now he's in love with Gwen? about time._

Thanks for the review. No, he's just now accepting the fact. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 14): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks Jason, glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45: Great chapter. So Ben has accepted the truth of his feelings and it sounds like Gwen will to soon. Looking forward to the next chapter._

Thanks, Car. Yes, Ben has accepted the truth and Gwen did the same a long time ago. Glad you were looking forward to this chapter.

Next Chapter: After a long night of feverish love making, Ben and Gwen adjust to the new relationship between them. They continue to take advantage of the fact that Ben's parents took a vacation.


	17. Chapter 16: Morning After

Chapter 16: Morning After

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Sixteen!

* Well, it seems that you guys have gotten lucky. I have decided to write a little bit about what happened the previous night. So, I hope you enjoy!

* Anyway, there is nothing else to be said. Let's get right into the chapter!

 _Ben_

 _Mid-May_

 _Last Night_

Pleasure-filled moans echoed off of the walls of my room, as I continued to thrust into Gwen from behind. She whimpered below me, biting down on her lower lip, trying not to scream with pleasure. Her hands were tied behind her back as she laid on her stomach, with her head rolled over, facing the wall.

We barely took a break after our second or third round, and she came onto me, begging me to use my belt to tie her hands behind her back. Eventually I gave in and did just that. As I continued pounding her, she eventually gave into the need to scream out.

"Ben!" she exclaimed. "Fuck me harder!"

I complied as I sat straight up on my knees, put my hands on her bare ass and picked up my pace. She screamed in ecstasy, as I continued to hit her G-spot over and over. After several more seconds of pounding her relentlessly, I felt her walls tighten around me and I knew that I wouldn't last much longer. Finally, I grunted as I felt my orgasm approaching.

"Gwen!" I exclaimed. "I'm cumming!"

She had no time to answer, as I fired a stream of hot seed into her. I continued to pump into her slowly, as she continued to scream with pleasure. Once I was done, I pulled out and collapsed onto my back. It didn't take long for Gwen to climax as well.

"I'm cumming again!" she shouted, as she sprayed her juices, soaking the sheets beneath her.

We both laid there, catching our breath from that last session. Eventually she asked me to undo the belt that bound her wrists together. I sat up, undid the belt and laid back down as I threw the belt to the floor. I had barely been on my back for five seconds, when I felt a weird sensation between my legs.

I looked down, to Gwen lightly sucking and nibbling at the base of my shaft. I let out a light moan as her mouth traveled up. She got to my tip and began lightly sucking on it. I struggled to resist the urge of grabbing her head and forcing her to go down on me. Eventually, she took my length into her mouth and began sucking me off. Much to my disappointment, once I was erect again, she stopped blowing me.

"What…?" I asked with shock as I looked back up.

Yes, she had stopped blowing me, but I didn't think the lack of pleasure would last very long. Gwen was slowly climbing on top of me as she gently jerked me off, which sent tingles down my spine. I let out a moan as Gwen spread her lips, causing me to penetrate her and she moaned out as well.

"Aren't you exhausted?" I asked.

"No." she said as she began to ride me.

"Good." I said. "Neither am I."

She looked down at me as she moaned with pleasure.

"Th-Then why'd y-you a-ask?" she stuttered in between moans.

"I don't know." I said as I grabbed her waist, lifted her up and dropped her back down on my shaft, causing her to scream out in pleasure.

"At least give me four more rounds." She said, moaning as she looked down at me.

"Make it five." I said, starting to moan myself.

She smiled down at me, her eyes gleaming with lust.

"Deal." She said.

I surprised her by flipping us over. She gasped as she stared up at me.

"But I'm on top." I said.

She gave me a pouty face.

"But you haven't let me be on top yet!" she complained.

I gently caressed her cheek.

"You can be on top next time." I said. "I promise."

"Okay." She whispered to me as she smiled.

I smiled back, as I continued to caress her cheek.

"Ben?" she asked after a few seconds passed.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Take me." She said, her eyes gleaming with lust.

I did just that and began thrusting into her again, causing her to moan with pleasure.

 _The Next Morning_

Gwen and I had the most amazing night. We feverishly made love for an hour and a half. In that hour and a half, she and I tried out several different sexual positions, most of which I hadn't even known about! I guess it was just gut instinct, doing all the stuff that we did.

We started in the standard missionary position, and then we tried spooning, the scissor position, after that I did her doggy style, then it was back to missionary, she then rode me reverse-cowgirl style and of course, we finished off with 69ing each other. Once we were finally done and actually exhausted, she begged me to thrust into her one more time and then fall asleep, holding her close as I was still inside her. So, I did.

I woke up the next morning, having been asleep on my stomach, with my head turned to my right, able to see the morning sun coming in through my slightly parted blinds. Gwen was no longer beneath me and my pillow was drenched in my drool. I let out a light groan as I rolled over and sat up in bed.

"Gwen?" I said her name.

I didn't get an answer. I looked over to the other side of the bed, to see that the bed was empty, and the sheets and blanket were a tangled mess. I sat up all the way and looked around. I saw that my clothes were still on the floor, but Gwen's were nowhere in sight. I was in shock. I had thought that after the amazing night, she surely would have stayed with me! Last night was nothing like Valentine's Day. Instead of loveless, one sided fucking, last night was just us making passionate love. We even kissed more times than I can count when compared to Valentine's Day!

 _Had she really left me again? Had she woken up before me and left?_ I thought. _Why would she leave? Especially after last night, why wouldn't she stay?_

I got up out of bed, pulling the blanket with me to cover myself as I went, and looked for a note that she could have left for me, just like she had done on Valentine's Day. I didn't find anything of the sort. I let out a sigh as I dropped the blanket and bent down to grab the boxers I had worn yesterday. I put them on and threw a pair of sweatpants on over them.

I opened my bedroom door and left my room after that. I walked down the hall and towards the kitchen, ready to make myself breakfast. I was about a few feet from the turn into the kitchen when I heard it. I came to a stop. There was a humming sound coming from the kitchen. Not like the hum of machinery, but rather it sounded like a person humming to themselves.

I walked into the kitchen, to see a familiar red head. Gwen was standing at the stove with her back to me, humming to herself as she cooked breakfast. She was also wearing one of my white dress shirts. And I'm pretty sure that she was wearing nothing else. She had no pants on and was barefoot. The dress shirt covered her butt and ended at just around her thighs. I was pretty sure that she wasn't wearing underwear.

I felt relief knowing that she was still here. She hadn't seemed to notice me yet. So, I slowly tiptoed over to her and once I reached her, I made my move. I lightly spanked her right cheek and held onto it, causing her to gasp with surprise. I looked over her shoulder as she turned her head to look at me and we began to kiss passionately. Once we pulled away, she shot me a smile.

"Good morning, you!" she said. "How'd you sleep?"

I shrugged, as my hand remained on her ass.

"I slept okay. Where were you?" I asked as I gave her a sad face. "I thought you had left like on Valentine's Day!"

Her smile disappeared as she turned back to the stove.

"I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed." She said. "I'm sorry I scared you."

I cooled off a little. I was thinking of what to say next.

"Ben?" she asked.

"Yeah?" I asked as I looked up as she turned her head to face me.

"Can you please take your hand off of my ass?" she asked. "I can't focus on breakfast."

I blushed, but nonetheless, I took my hand off her ass in disappointment.

"Thanks." She said as she turned back to the stove.

I now noticed that she was making scrambled eggs and there was bacon, as well as pancakes being made on the counter. I finally figured out what to ask next.

"Then what about your clothes?" I asked. "I didn't see them anywhere in there."

"You didn't look hard enough, Doofus." She said. "They're in there. I folded them up because I didn't like the mess. I put them out of sight. Once again, I'm sorry that I scared you."

"That's alright." I said as I heaved a sigh of relief.

There was silence after that. That's when I realized that I was bored and that I needed to "entertain" myself. So, I moved behind Gwen, out of her sight and lowered my hand underneath the dress shirt. I then began to gently finger Gwen, which caused her to lose her grip on the pan, as well as gasp with surprise and pleasure.

"B-Ben!" she exclaimed my name as she stuttered. "N-N-Not h-here!"

"Why not?" I asked as I rested my head on her shoulder. "I'm hungry!"

"W-Wait until b-breakfast!" she said, as she continued to stutter and let out light moans.

"I'm not hungry for breakfast." I whispered as I lightly licked her earlobe. "I'm hungry for _you_."

Gwen bit back a moan.

"Mmm, not right now, Ben!" she exclaimed. "I'm not about to let you take me in the kitchen!"

"Why not?" I whispered as I continued to lightly lick her earlobe, causing her to shiver with delight.

"I can't allow myself to cum on the floor!" Gwen said. "It would stain!"

"It's a tile floor, Gwen." I whispered into her ear. "We could clean it up."

"I said "no", Ben!" she exclaimed as she backed her leg into me, causing me to be pushed away.

"Okay, okay!" I said. "I'll be patient!"

As I backed up towards the kitchen table, Gwen turned to face me with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, as well as a seductive smile on her face.

"Good boy." She purred, before turning back to the stove.

The way she had said that riled me up even more. I knew for a fact that she wanted it as much as I did, if not more. But alas, I had to respect her wishes. If she really wanted me to wait until after breakfast, I had to be okay that. And so, I was.

 _Ten Minutes Later_

Gwen finally sat down at the table with me, placing my plate in front of me, with scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes, with her plate having all the same stuff. As I began eating, I felt the urge to talk with Gwen.

"Um…" I began to speak, but she interrupted me.

"Yes?" she asked as she looked up, her emerald colored eyes sparkling.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"Of course." Gwen replied. "What about?"

"It's just… last night." I said as I looked at her with uncertainty. "What was last night?"

"You mean besides practically an endless night of feverish love making?" she asked as her eyes twinkled mischievously. "What else do you need to know?"

"Gwen, I just need to know," I said. "Was last night just another Valentine's Day?"

Her smiled faded.

"Ben, what are you saying?" she asked.

"Gwen was last night a one time thing?" I asked. "Was it just a one night stand?"

It looked as though she was tearing up.

"D-Do you want it to be just a one time thing?" she asked in a fearful tone.

I shook my head, as I reached for her hand.

"No, Gwen, I don't!" I said as I took her hand in mine. "I want this to be something that we can build! I wasn't lying when I told you that I was in love with you!"

She let out a sigh of relief, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh my God." She said as she squeezed my hand in hers. "You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that, Ben. I swear, I've had a crush on you since the day after my nightmare."

I didn't know what to say in return, so I just said what was on my mind.

"I love you, Gwen." I said.

"I love you too, Ben." She said.

I put down my fork as I scooted my chair closer to her and she did the same. I pulled her into a kiss and she gladly accepted. Her hands found their way to my neck and one of my hands found her waist, while the other came to rest on her bare thigh. I felt as though she were looking at me, so I opened my eyes, to see that she was looking at me with one eye open.

She didn't break the kiss, though. She seemed fine with me having my hand on her bare thigh, as she closed her eye again and she deepened the kiss. I began to rub her inner thigh and a light moan escaped from her lips. My hand disappeared underneath the dress shirt that she was wearing and that's when she pulled away.

"Mmm, no, stop it." She said as she pulled away and scooted away from me. "Down boy."

I looked at her with a confused expression.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"I told you that you would have to wait until after breakfast." She said. "And I'm not going back on that."

I just stared at her.

"Go on now and eat your breakfast." She said.

I let out a sigh as I looked back down.

"Fine." I said as I went back to eating my breakfast.

"Mmm, good boy." Gwen said as she started eating as well.

Just her saying that almost broke me. I got the urge to get up, pick her up and rip the shirt off of her and just do her on the kitchen table. But I didn't. I just continued eating as she had told me to do. About ten minutes or so of silence passed between us before Gwen got up from the table. I looked up to see that her plate was empty now. She walked over behind me and put her lips to my ear.

"Come to your room when you're done eating." She whispered. "Come in with your eyes closed."

I turned around to look at her as she walked down the hall. She turned to face me, and she gave me a suggestive wink. She then turned around and walked down the hall out of sight. At that point, I was in a rush to finish eating. I began shoveling forkful after forkful of food into my mouth and finished my breakfast in a record five minutes.

I got up from the table, not even taking care of our plates and walked down the hall towards my room. As I neared the open door to my room, I closed my eyes just as Gwen had asked me to. With my eyes closed, I felt my way to and through my open door. I stood in the doorway of my room in silence for a few seconds until Gwen spoke.

"You kept your eyes closed." She said. "Good."

"Thanks. So, what's going on?" I asked as I chuckled. "What is this?"

"Hold on." She said. "Just let me get comfortable."

"Get comfortable?" I asked. "What are you doing?"

"You'll see." She said.

"Can I open my eyes?" I asked.

"I wouldn't." she said. "It'd ruin the surprise."

I decided to take her word for it and kept my eyes closed. Eventually a minute or so passed and Gwen spoke again.

"Okay," she said. "You can open your eyes now."

I did as she said, and my jaw dropped at what I saw. Gwen was now completely naked, my white dress shirt had been cast onto the floor, and she laid on the edge of the bed. That wasn't the jaw dropping part, though. She had her legs spread apart as much as she could handle, and she was using her hands to spread her lips apart, if you know what I mean. She blushed bright red in response to how long I stared at her.

"Well?" she asked. "Are you coming or not, hero?"

I didn't understand why she had called me that. Maybe she meant that I was her hero? Anyway, I didn't react to what she had said; I just continued to stare hungrily at her naked, inviting form. Eventually, my staring at her caused her to give me a worried look.

"Ben?" she asked with concern.

I shook my head and emerged from my trance.

"Um, right." I said as I closed the door behind me. "Sorry, I lost myself there for a second."

She chuckled as I pulled my pants and boxers down as I walked over to her.

"That's okay." She said.

I did my best to lay down on top of her, given the position she was in. As I laid on to of her, her hands found their way to my neck and my hands found their way to her waist. My lips touched hers as my throbbing erection pointed at her entrance. Eventually she pulled away and stared at me with a loving gaze.

"Be gentle with me." She said. "We played rough last night. Now I just want it to be slow and passionate."

"Okay." I said as my heart began beating faster. "I can do that."

I gently took her into my arms and kissed her once again, as I pushed inside of her. She let out a light moan as I began to gently thrust in and out of her.

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

Gwen and I laid next to each other, holding hands as we tried to catch our breath.

"Wow." She finally spoke.

"Um yeah, I think that was our best orgasm yet." I said as I continued panting.

"I would have to agree." Gwen said.

We both fell silent after that. I finally rolled over to face her.

"Come here." I said.

She rolled over to face me and complied, scooting into my arms. I put my arms around her and she snuggled against my naked form. She looked up at me and we began kissing once again. Once she pulled away from the kiss, she spoke.

"This is amazing." She said.

" _You're_ amazing." I said as I stared lovingly at her.

"You mean it?" she asked as her emerald eyes lit up.

"Of course, I mean it." I said. "You're the best I've had! Well, you're the only one I've had…"

"Ben." Gwen said interrupting me.

"Hopefully, you'll be my first and only…" I tried to speak again, only to get interrupted again.

"Ben." She said.

"I want our relationship, if that's what this is, to prevail over time." I said. "I don't want to be with anyone else…"

Gwen turned my head, so I faced her and kissed me, interrupting me once more. Eventually she pulled away and stared at me.

"I get it." She said.

A minute or two of silent snuggling passed between us, before Gwen pulled away from me and got off the bed. She then stood there, staring at me as she didn't bother to cover her nudity.

"You said I was amazing." She said as she gave me an intense, suggestive look. "Show me."

"Um, okay?" I asked with confusion.

"In the shower." She said.

I saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes, along with the suggestive grin that followed. I rushed to get off the bed and follow Gwen, as she had already left the room and was slowly strutting down the hall.

 _Thirty Minutes Later_

After a few minutes of love making in the shower, which would also be one of our last rounds together, Gwen and I decided not to leave the shower. So, we were now snuggling in the bathtub, in a warm bubble bath. She pressed her back against my chest, as my arms were wrapped around her waist.

"I can't feel my legs." I said for possibly the one hundredth time.

"You are such a big baby." Gwen said, not moving from my grip.

"No, seriously." I said. "I can't feel my legs."

"Ben, you didn't hold me up for that long." She said. "Your legs are fine."

Just to clear it up, I held Gwen up against the wall by her legs as I thrust into her. The end result left my legs sore and Gwen didn't really show any sympathy. I held onto Gwen tighter as her hand snaked up to rest on my cheek.

"I want us to be together forever." I said.

"We will." Gwen said.

I leaned my head forward and managed to kiss Gwen on the top of her head.

"We will." She said once more.

 _Author's Note:_

* Well, I hope that the chapters leading up to this moment and all the waiting was worth it! There's going to be three or four more chapters left in the story, plus an epilogue, maybe and that's where I'll end it.

* Let me just say something before I go: I don't want to sound rude or anything, but please don't ask me to write lemon scenes. This one was a special case, I actually wanted to write this one and that's a rarity for me. I usually don't write lemon scenes, writing them just makes me feel awkward. And I never go back to read scenes that I specifically wrote, so that should say something. I just don't like writing lemon scenes, I never have enjoyed writing them. So, just don't ask me to write a lemon scene, because I most likely won't do it. I just thought I should just say that.

* Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _He23t (Chapter 15): Well they finally made love in the most romantic way. I just wonder if the secret with there relationship will stay secret, but for how long?_

Yes, they finally did. Their relationship won't stay secret for much longer. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _xhope14x (Chapter 15): I'm back I didn't get the comment last chapter because I forgot to finally they both said it and they're both embracing it you know I kind of wondered if you ever do like a little side project or something you should write where he leaves because I was wondering how that was going to turn out if he left and all the events that would follow with it._

Thanks, Hope. It's alright if you couldn't review my last chapter, you don't have to review them all. Yes, they are together now. Um, about a side project, I might PM you about that in the future. So, keep an eye out! Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 15): An amazing chapter and well worth the wait. You brought their feelings out in a way that felt credible and kept them in character. It felt like they way they would admit their feeling to each other._

 _As for the love making scene, a lemon would have the last time they did that. That was physical, But it wouldn't have fit a moment like this that was an expression of their true feelings for each other. They way you did it was perfect. In every way, this was an awesome chapter and I'm very anxiously looking forward to the next one._

Thanks, Car. I honestly have to disagree about how you say a lemon would fit for the last time they did it. That was not love and both of them regret allowing that night to happen. Ben even mentions that they didn't kiss or look at each other during the whole thing. I also have to disagree with it being perfect.

I can't be perfect all the time and I know that there will be a group of readers who may, for some reason, not like the outcome of the story. But thank you for your kind words. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Toby'snotinteresting (Chapter 15): Yes._

Yes, Toby. Yes. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 15): And another great chapter congrats BWEN Forever_

Thanks, Jason. Glad to see you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Ben and Gwen reveal their new relationship to their parents.


	18. Chapter 17: Relationship Reveal

Chapter 17: Relationship Reveal

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Seventeen!

* Before we get started, I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! So, with nothing else to be said, let's get right into the chapter!

 _Gwen_

 _Late May_

It had been a week or two since Ben and I first got together. We haven't gotten to be alone together, if you know what I mean, since that weekend. It was too difficult with his parents always being around and my parents always being around. We couldn't just go out to a hotel to be alone, as that would be suspicious if both of our parents knew we were both going to a hotel and our parents told each other, you know?

We hadn't told them yet and we weren't even sure how we could tell them. Right now, I was lying on my bed, on my stomach, thinking about Ben. I imagined him holding me in his arms, as we made out. He began to slowly unbutton my blouse, before…

A knock at my bedroom door interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at the door.

"Um, come in!" I called out.

My door opened, and my Mom poked her head into the room.

"Um, Gwen, honey, can you come here for a few minutes, please?" she asked.

I gave her a confused look.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Did I do something?"

"No, no, no. It's okay." She said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, then just tell me." I said. "I can listen and lay at the same time."

"I would just prefer it if you come down to the living room with me." She said.

I sighed and got up from my bed, regardless of how much I wanted to stay there.

"Okay, fine." I said. "Let's go."

I walked out of my bedroom and followed Mom down the hall and down the stairs to the living room. Once we got into the room, I saw my Dad waiting for us on the couch.

"Ah, there she is." He said as he looked up from the newspaper he had been reading. "Do you mind telling me what this is?"

"What "what" is?" I asked.

"This." He said, as he held up a big bouquet of yellow roses for me to see.

As soon as I saw it, I knew who had sent it. Dad started reading from a note card that was apparently attached to the bouquet.

"I can't wait for our next time together. It's been hell without you." He read out loud. "Call me. XOXO, signed, your secret admirer."

He looked back up at me.

"Who is he?" he asked. "What is this about?"

I was blushing, there was no doubt about that. I didn't answer Dad. I flashed back to that day I had confronted him after seeing him at the movies.

 _Just so you know, in case there's a next time, my favorite flowers are yellow roses. Just so you know,_ I had told him that day.

He had remembered! I mean, I was glad that he had remembered, but I wasn't happy that he had picked broad daylight as the time to try to sneak me a bouquet of yellow roses.

 _Damn it, Ben._ I thought.

"So, what's going on?" Dad asked.

"Okay, so I'm seeing someone!" I said with frustration. "What's the problem?"

"Seeing someone?" Mom asked as she came down the stairs behind me.

I turned to look at her with a frustrated look on my face.

"Okay, fine! I'm dating someone!" I said. "Whatever term is appropriate in this day and age!"

Mom didn't say anything in return, but Dad cleared his throat, so I looked back over to him.

"He said, "I can't wait for our next time together"." He said. "I'm assuming that you and this guy, you know, did it…?"

"Ugh, Dad! Stop it!" I exclaimed, my cheeks turning bright red from embarrassment.

The room was silent for a few seconds, until Dad spoke again.

"So, uh, when do I get to meet this guy?" he asked. "The guy that's been violating my daughter?"

"Dad!" I exclaimed once more with frustration.

"Frank, don't say things like that!" Mom said. "Besides, I think it's great that she's seeing someone! It's after graduation and she's seeing someone that she may be able to be happy with. I think it's great! When do we get to meet him, Gwen?"

Dad chimed into the conversation.

"Yes, when will we get to meet him?" he asked. "When will I get to shake his hand, when will I get to crush his hand in mine as a thank you for…"

"Dad!" I exclaimed with anger and embarrassment, interrupting him. "Stop it!"

Mom just let out a sigh. I turned around and was about to go upstairs, when Mom spoke.

"Seriously, Gwen." She said. "When do we get to meet him?"

I shrugged the question off.

"I don't know." I said as I walked up the stairs.

I walked to my room, walked in and grabbed my shoes. I put them on, before walking back downstairs. I walked into the living room and yanked the bouquet of yellow roses off the couch.

"What do you think you're doing with that?" Dad asked.

I didn't answer the question right away, but rather walked to the front door.

"I'm going over to Ben's house." I said. "I need his advice."

I opened the door and walked outside before they could respond. I walked down the driveway towards the sidewalk. I walked down the sidewalk, as I looked down at the bouquet. True, I was grateful that he had remembered my favorite flowers, but he was stupid to have sent the bouquet during daylight hours.

"Damn it, Ben." I cursed him once again.

 _Sometime Later_

 _Ben's House_

Ben and I were his room, sitting on his bed. I was resting my head on his lap, while he patiently listened to what I had to say. The bouquet of yellow roses sat next to us.

"I don't know what to do." I said.

"Well, I'm happy to see you." Ben said.

"How many times have you told me that, Dweeb?" I asked him.

"Too many times to count, Doofus." He said. "But I promise you that it's nothing from the truth."

"No, no, no." I said. "I'm happy to see you, too. I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to do."

We both went silent after that. I eventually sighed.

"Oh, Ben." I said as I sat up on his bed. "What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, Gwen." He said as he pulled me towards his chest. "Did I do something wrong?"

I sighed as I rested my back against his chest.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong." I said. "I appreciated the flowers, but you sent them at the wrong time. You sent them during the day and my parents got to them first, and now they know that I'm seeing someone and so, they are suspicious."

"Suspicious?" he asked. "Suspicious how?"

I elbowed him in the shoulder.

"Doofus!" I said in an annoyed tone. "What do you think I meant by suspicious?"

"Um…" was all he could muster before I interrupted him.

"Oh, just be quiet." I said, as I flicked my hand up in the air. "Point is, my parents are suspicious and if my Dad finds out that we're dating, he'll probably want to kill you."

"Oh, great." he said. "Just what I need, someone wanting to kill me. Great."

"You are such a crybaby, you know that?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "But I'm _your_ crybaby!"

I chuckled as he said that.

"Yeah, you are." I said as I turned to face him.

I put my hand on his cheek and he put his on mine, and we kissed. We kissed for several seconds, before we pulled away. I sighed as I rested my forehead against his.

"I love you." He said.

I smiled.

"I love you, too." I said.

After that I leaned into his chest, nuzzling my head against him as he gently laid back. He held me like that for what seemed like forever. Eventually, he spoke.

"We should tell them." He said.

I pulled away and looked up at him with surprise.

"What?" I asked with shock.

"We should tell them." He said. "We should tell my parents!"

I gave him a surprised, annoyed and angry look.

"Have you not been listening?!" I whispered. "That's the exact opposite of what we should do! As much as I hate to say it, we need to continue lying low! Just until we can figure out what our proper options are!"

"No, Gwen, listen to me." He said. "We can tell my parents. They're more understanding then your parents. Face it, your Dad is strict. He _will_ want to beat me if he finds our that we're together. With telling my parents, at least we stand a chance!"

I realized it. He was right. My parents were really hardheaded compared to his. If anyone would understand our relationship, it would be them. I sighed.

"You're right." I whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"You're right." I said as looked back up at him. "My parents are so tough compared to yours. They'd never even allow us to see this relationship through. But your parents are easygoing. If we stand a chance telling anyone, it's them."

He smiled down at me.

"Ha! I knew I'd be right!" he said.

A look of annoyance appeared on my face.

"Don't push it." I said in an annoyed tone.

Several seconds of silence passed between us before he spoke.

"So, are we going to go tell them or what?" he asked.

I nodded as I got off the bed.

"Yeah." I said as I offered my hand out to him. "Let's go."

We walked out of his room together, not hand in hand, towards the living room. Once we were in the living room, Dad looked up at us.

"Oh hey, guys." He said. "What's up?"

I looked at Gwen and she nodded at me, signaling for me to say it. I looked back at Mom and Dad.

"Gwen and I are together." I said.

"Together?" Mom asked in a confused tone.

Gwen stepped forward.

"Together as in we're dating." She said.

Both of them looked surprised now. Mom looked at Dad with shock. Eventually she looked back at us.

"Oh, how nice." She said in a surprisingly calm voice. "How long? How long have you two been together?"

"Only since the night of graduation." I said.

"How did it happen?" Dad asked.

Gwen and I looked at each other, both us unsure as to where to start. I finally looked back at Mom and Dad.

"Well, I guess it all started on a cold winter's night, Christmas Eve." I said, as the memories came flowing back.

 _A Couple Hours Later_

"And so, we left Kevin's party." I said. "And we came back here and spent the night together."

Mom and Dad both looked too uncomfortable to say anything. Gwen and I looked at each other, both of us feeling uncomfortable as well. Mom cleared her throat.

"So, Gwen as the problem with you and your grades?" she asked. "You had a crush on her and you couldn't decide what to do, so you stopped caring about your grades, you just let them fall?"

I nodded. Mom was silent for a few seconds after that.

"Why didn't you just tell her?" she asked.

I sighed.

"I couldn't. I couldn't risk telling her at the off chance of her not returning my feelings." I said. "If she did reject me, we would never be able to go back to just being cousins. So, even though they hurt, I had to keep those feelings locked up."

I felt Gwen hug herself up against my back and she put her arms around my neck. I reached up and rested my hand on hers, happy to know that she was here with me. Not only that, but I was happy that all of this had worked out. Well, at least it had worked out so far.

"What would have happened if she hadn't come to you the night of Kevin's party?" Mom asked.

I was so content having Gwen hug me, that I didn't comprehend what she had said.

"What?" I asked as I looked up.

"If she hadn't come to you at Kevin's party, what would you have done?" she asked.

I looked down in guilt. The fact that I almost left that night had come back to haunt me.

"I… I would have left." I said.

"You would have left?" Mom asked.

"What?" Gwen asked as she pulled away from me.

She moved in front of me and forced me to look up at her. There was a worried and sad look on her face.

"What do you mean you would have left?" she asked. "Tell me!"

I looked away and didn't answer.

"Tell me now!" Gwen exclaimed with frustration.

I sighed.

"I'll be right back." I said in a low voice as I turned around and walked towards my room.

I walked into my room and searched around for the note that I would have left behind. I finally found it and walked back out to the living room.

"Here." I said as I handed it to Gwen. "This is the note that I would have left."

She took it from me and began to read it, as Mom and Dad got up to read it over her shoulder.

"Everyone," Gwen started reading out loud. "I just can't do this anymore. I just can't live like this. I can't live with all of the pain, frustrations and the difficulty of my current situation. So, I won't live with it. I have to get out before I lose my mind. I just have to get out before I lose myself."

"And don't get the wrong idea. It's not you guys, it's me." Dad started reading. "I have a problem and I can't face it where I'm at right now. So, I'm leaving. I'm packing a bag of clothes and I have enough money to get out of the state. Don't come looking for me, please. I need to work out these problems on my own."

"And who knows? If I get over this problem, I may come back one day." Mom started reading. "Please, I don't want there to be hard feelings between all of us after this. Thank you for everything you've all done for me in my life. Goodbye. I'm sorry."

"Love, Ben." All three of them read in unison.

Gwen looked up at me.

"What does this mean?" Mom asked. "What was the problem?"

I looked at Gwen.

"You were, Gwen." I said. "You were my problem."

She stared at me in disbelief.

"What?!" she asked with shock. "I was your problem?! How could I have been your problem?!"

I looked away from her.

"Mom, I lied to you." I said. "I wasn't stood up that night when you let me loose. I was going to try to surprise Gwen at the movies with a bouquet of roses."

"And what happened?" Mom asked.

"I didn't know that she would be on a date with one of the popular jocks from school." I said. "Seeing her with him broke me. I almost left that night. In fact, I started writing the note that night, but stopped and told myself to at least make it to graduation."

"But why write a note?" Gwen asked.

"Because," I said. "I thought if I couldn't have you, then I'd just leave. I couldn't stand being around and knowing that I wasn't with you. That I couldn't have you."

"But you are with me." Gwen said in a confused tone. "You _do_ have me."

"I wasn't then." I said. "I didn't have you then."

"But you are now." She said. "And I'm sorry that you saw me with Brad."

"So was I!" I said.

"Okay, let's calm down a little bit." Dad said as he sat back down on the couch.

Mom walked into the kitchen, most likely to throw the note away. I looked back down at the floor. I heard Gwen walk over to me.

"Hey." She said as she put her finger on my chin, forcing me to look at her.

"What?" I asked in a glum tone.

"It's alright." She said. "You'll be fine. _We'll_ be fine."

I nodded.

"Gwen." Mom said as she walked back into the room.

She turned around to look at Mom.

"Yes, Aunt Sandra?" I asked.

"I just want you to know that I think this is great." She said. "But do your parents know?"

Gwen shook her head.

"Ben sent a bouquet of yellow roses earlier today and my parents got to it before I could." She said. "Now they know that I'm in a relationship with someone and they're suspicious."

"Suspicious how?" I asked.

She turned to face me.

"Shut up, Ben." She said in an annoyed tone.

I backed up in my defense, raising my hands in surrender.

"You should call them over, so you can explain this to them." Mom said to her. "If you don't, it will only get harder for you two."

Gwen sighed.

"Yeah, you're right." She said. "I'll go phone my Mom and ask her to come over."

 _Sometime Later_

Aunt Natalie was in shock. I wasn't sure how she was feeling.

"My daughter…" she spoke in a low tone. "Dating her cousin?"

"Aunt Natalie, I know that this seems bad." I said. "But it's not!"

Aunt Natalie looked away from me. I looked over at Gwen and she gave me the same look of concern that was on my face. Gwen looked at her Mom.

"Mom?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

She didn't say anything.

"Aunt Natalie?" I asked with concern.

She let out a sigh.

"I'll be fine." She said at last. "It's just a shock is all."

Gwen stepped up to her mom and took her hand.

"Mom, do you just want to go home?" she said.

She nodded as she closed her eyes.

"Okay." Gwen said. "Let's go back home."

Aunt Natalie got up from where she was sitting.

"I'm going to go home, but you're going to stay here, Gwen." She said.

"What?" she asked. "Why?"

"Gwen, your Dad isn't going to like this. He is going to have a cow when he hears about this." She said. "He will do anything in your power to make sure you never leave the house again, nor that you ever see Ben again. You need to stay here until I can talk some sense into him."

"Um, okay." I said.

"I just need time, okay?" she said. "You can come home soon. I promise."

She then turned to the front door and walked out, leaving the four of us in silence in the living room.

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's the chapter for today! I hope you all enjoyed!

* There's probably only two chapters left in the story at this point and as I said before, there may be a bonus chapter if I feel like writing one.

* Anyway, I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _He23t (Chapter 16): Wow there really going at it with each other, talk about getting freaky! About the next chapter I bet there be a lot of shouting and anger._

Yes, they really were going at it, weren't they? Well, the shouting may come next chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 16): And another great chapter congrats Now I'm curious to see how Ben and Gwen's parents would say that they are couple And one more thing, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year BWEN Forever_

Thanks, Jason. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too! I guess we'll see how things play out with Gwen's father next chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 16): While I generally don't like lemons, you did this one well. Usually lemons are nothing but smut, but you made it part of building their relationship as it should be. Thanks for another great chapter._

Thanks, Car. I can't say that I agree with you saying that I did this lemon well. But thanks for your kind words. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Gwen's father tries his best to drive Ben and Gwen apart, but eventually accepts their relationship. Gwen's father tries to scare Ben.


	19. Chapter 18: Acceptance

Chapter 18: Acceptance

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Eighteen!

* Nothing to be said here, so let's get right down into the chapter!

 _Mid-May_

 _Frank Tennyson_

 _Gwen's House_

I sat there in shock and disbelief, as I comprehended the information that my wife had just shared with me.

"M-My daughter? Dating her cousin?" I asked with anger. "My nephew dating my daughter? My daughter?!"

"Now Frank, just calm down." Natalie said. "It's going to be fine, Gwen is…"

I interrupted her, not allowing her to finish.

"No, it's not okay!" I exclaimed. "This isn't right. My little girl is dating her cousin!"

"Frank, she's not our little girl anymore." She said. "She's graduated high school and she's found someone that she enjoys spending her time with."

"No, she will always be my little girl!" I exclaimed with anger.

"Frank, just calm down!" Natalie urged.

"No!" I exclaimed as I got up from the couch. "I have no intention of calming down! In fact, I'm going to end this right now!"

"Frank, don't!" Natalie exclaimed as she ran to me and grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me backwards.

"Let go of me!" I exclaimed as I yanked my hand from her grip. "I'm going to go end this before it ruins her life!"

"Frank, you need to wake up!" Natalie said. "Can't you see that our daughter is actually happy? If you go break them up, she will hate you for the rest of her life!"

"Well, she'll thank me one day." I said, as I opened the door.

I left the house before my wife could get another word out.

 _Ten Minutes Later_

 _Ben's House_

I got out of my car, slammed the door shut and stormed up to the stoop. I started banging on the door, until my brother answered.

"Frank? What are you doing here?" he asked. "And Jesus, will you be quiet? Ben and Gwen are sleeping downstairs!"

Just the mention of Ben heated my blood.

"You let me in." I said as I tried to push past him. "You let me in right now!"

"Whoa!" he said as he kept me from getting in. "What's the deal, Frank?"

"Let me in!" I exclaimed with anger as I tried to push past him.

"Frank, stop it!" he exclaimed as he pushed me off of the front stoop and onto the concrete.

Carl stepped out onto the patio and stood on the stoop above me.

"Now do you want to tell me what's got you so pissed off?" he asked.

"Your son is dating my daughter and I don't like it!" I exclaimed. "I'm here to take my daughter home and make sure that he never sees her again!"

Carl crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, that's just tough, Frank." He said. "Your daughter is happy with Ben. You should be happy that she's happy."

"I'm going to take her away from him and one day, she'll thank me for it!" I exclaimed with anger.

He shook his head.

"I can't let you in my house, Frank." He said. "This is a really bad idea that you have."

I looked up at him with anger from my spot on the ground.

"Like hell you will!" I said as I got up, ran to him and grabbed his shoulders.

I tossed him aside, causing him to land on his side on the concrete.

"Ow, what the hell?!" he exclaimed.

I opened the door and stormed inside, walking past a frightened Sandra.

"Um, Frank? Are you…"

I walked past her before she could finish her sentence. I walked towards the basement stairs and stormed down them, as I heard Carl quickly following. I walked into the basement and stormed over to the couch to say something, but I stopped when I saw it. My nephew and daughter were asleep on the couch.

He laid on his back and my daughter laid on top of him, with her hand grasping his and her head resting on his chest. And the thing that caught me the most, was that she was smiling. My daughter was smiling in her sleep and she had never looked happier. Suddenly I didn't have it in me to wake her and take her away from this house. Carl walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"There." He said. "You see how happy she is? I can't let you take that happiness away from her, Frank. I'm sorry, but even though you're my brother, I have to ask you to leave."

I finally looked at Carl.

"He gets one chance! One chance to prove to me that he's the guy for her!" I said with anger. "If he fails to impress me or if he does anything to hurt her, he'll be dead to me!"

I then pushed Carl into the wall and stormed up the stairs, heading for the front door.

 _Ben_

I woke up to the sound of my Dad grunting with pain and someone stomping up the stairs. I sat up, careful not to wake Gwen and looked in his direction.

"Dad?" I quietly called out to him. "Are you alright?"

"Nothing, son." He said. "I just knocked something over in the laundry room by accident is all. Just go back to sleep."

I wanted to get up and help him with whatever he had knocked over. But at the same time, I was reluctant to leave Gwen. So, against my best wishes, I laid back down with Gwen still resting on my chest and fell back to sleep.

 _Gwen_

 _Later That Night_

I had woken up from my nap, to find Ben still asleep. I didn't want to wake him and besides, I was hungry. So, I ventured upstairs to find a snack. Once I got into the lit up kitchen, I saw Uncle Carl sitting at the dinner table with a plate of spaghetti, reading the paper.

"Hey, Uncle Carl." I said as I walked into the kitchen.

He looked up from the paper.

"Oh, hey Gwen." He said, before looking back down at the paper.

I walked past him, towards the kitchen counter and picked up an apple. I walked back over to him as I began to eat it.

"So, I have a question." I said in between bites.

"And what would that be?" he asked without looking back up.

"Look, Ben may not be stupid, but there are times where he'll see right through something." I said. "And I saw right through your lie. What was my father doing here earlier tonight?"

Uncle Carl looked up at me for several seconds, before he sighed.

"Alright." He said as he folded up the paper and put it on the table. "He came here determined to force you and Ben apart and to take you back home as well."

I was a bit shocked.

"So, why didn't he?" I asked.

"Truth be told, he never really stated why he just decided to leave without you." He said. "Maybe he saw how content you were in Ben's arms and he just couldn't bring himself to pull you away from that. Who knows?"

He went back to eating his spaghetti and I went back to eating my apple. As I was halfway through eating it, he spoke again.

"You know, it's getting late." He said. "You should get to bed."

I sighed.

"You're right." I said as I went to go throw the uneaten half of the apple in the trash.

After talking about my Dad, I kinda lost my appetite. I walked back towards the basement stairs, before turning to look at Uncle Carl.

"Good night, Uncle Carl." I said.

"Good night, Pumpkin." He said.

I blushed a little bit. Uncle Carl had always had a knack for calling me "Pumpkin". I turned back around and walked towards the basement stairs and back down them. I walked into the dimly lit basement and to the couch, where Ben was still sound asleep. I grabbed a blanket that was hanging on the edge of the couch and unfolded it. I draped it over him and then got under the blanket with him.

I felt his arms instinctively wrap around me, as I snuggled up against him once more.

 _Ben_

 _Mid-June_

It had been a month since graduation. Gwen and I were going out to the movies for our one month anniversary. I had planned to walk over to her house, get her and then we'd walk down to the theater and talk on the way there. But as it always seemed, nothing that I wanted ever went the way I hoped it would.

Gwen's Dad, Uncle Frank, insisted on driving us to the theater. He probably wanted to make sure that we couldn't be alone. I wanted to sit with Gwen in the back, but he made Gwen sit in the front and made me sit behind him. Once we got to the movie theater, he turned to look at Gwen.

"Go on in, honey." He said. "I got to have a short talk with Ben."

Gwen sighed as she opened the passenger side door. She looked back at me.

"Don't let him scare you." She said.

"Run along, Gwen." Uncle Frank replied in an impatient tone.

She looked at her father, before reluctantly getting out of the car and closing the door. There was a minute or so of uncomfortable silence between us. Once Gwen had disappeared into the theatre, he finally spoke.

"Slide over behind the passenger seat son." He said. "So, I can see you."

I gulped as I nervously slid back behind the passenger seat. Uncle Frank turned back to face me.

"Ah, that's better." He said. "Now, Ben. I want you to listen to me. I've never seen my daughter so happy. She seems to be the happiest she's ever been now that she's with you. I just wanted to thank you for making her happy. But…"

"It's no problem, Sir." I said. "There's no need to thank me."

Uncle Frank put his hand up.

"Don't interrupt me." He said. "And don't call me Sir, either. I'm still your Uncle Frank and you can still call me that."

I nodded.

"Okay, Uncle Frank." I said.

He let out a sigh.

"Now, listen to me. And listen well." He said. "I am grateful for how happy you've made Gwen. But I want to make something clear."

His face began to get dangerously red as he continued speaking.

"If you ever, ever, ever do anything to hurt my Gwen. If you cheat on her, break your heart or even hurt her feelings, I will make you regret it." He said as he gritted his teeth with anger. "I will make your life a living hell. I will make you miserable. I will make you fucking wish that you were dead. Do you understand me?"

My blood had run cold. I didn't know Uncle Frank had this level of anger in him and the ability to scare someone so bad. I eventually gulped and nodded without a word. Uncle Frank then smiled, and his face returned to normal.

"Good!" he said as he smiled. "Now run along, Sport."

I nearly choked in surprise to what he said.

"Um, what?" I asked in surprise.

"It's rude to keep your date waiting Benjamin." He said. "So, go on now."

I just stared at him, as sweat beaded up on my forehead.

"Oh, right!" I said as I quickly opened the door and stepped out.

I don't think I've ever ran as fast as I did, when I ran up the stairs towards the doors of the theatre, desperate to get away from him. Once I got in, Gwen looked at me with concern.

"Ben, are you okay?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I'm fine." I said. "Let's just get our tickets bought."

"Okay," Gwen said as she took my hand in hers. "Whatever you say."

Gwen and I walked towards the ticket booth, hand in hand.

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed! There will be one more chapter for this story and then maybe an epilogue will come out after.

* Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _Daniel6 (Chapter 17): Nice to know that Natalie is on board. Thank you for the update. Merry Christmas!_

Yes, it is nice that Natalie is on board. In most Bwen stories, she's the one against the relationship. You're quite welcome for the update. Merry Christmas to you too, and a Happy New Year! Thanks for the review, as always.

 _jasongd (Chapter 17): And another great chapter congrats Oh can't wait for next chapter BWEN Forever_

Thanks, Jason. I'm glad that you couldn't wait for this chapter. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _He23t (Chapter 17): Happy holidays! even though it's pass that. It's a great thing that Ben's parents and Gwen's mom are all understanding. I feel bad for anyone who has to go through this in real life, and worst get rejected and cast out by it._

Thanks! Happy holidays to you, too! Happy New Year as well! Yes, it is a great thing that they are understanding. But you can't really say the same thing about her father, can you? I too feel bad for anyone who has to go through this. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 17): Well it had to come out. Nice to see the parents reaction portrayed differently that usual. Normally Natalie is portrayed as an unreasonable harpy. I like seeing a different version of her. Keep up the good work._

Thanks, Car. Yeah, Natalie is usually portrayed that way. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _xhope14x (Chapter 17): Man I have a feeling like I want to hate her dad here in the future I'm surprised that his parents are taking it so well and her mom seems okay with it._

Thanks, Hope. Yeah, I imagine that you would hate her father right about now. And yes, a lot of people seem to be surprised that three of the parents are taking it so well. Thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: After five years of dating, Ben and Gwen finally get married.


	20. Chapter 19: Marriage

Chapter 19: Marriage

 _ **I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters**_

 _Author's Note:_

* Hello and welcome to Chapter Nineteen, the final chapter! I hope you guys have enjoyed the story, because this will pretty much me the end! I did say that I may write an epilogue, but that all depends on if you guys actually want one.

* Also, this is going to be a really short chapter, I hope you guys don't mind. But then again, Ben and Gwen are getting married! Why does that need to be a long chapter?

* But aside from that, there's not really a whole lot left for me to say. I guess, right down into the chapter?

 _Four Years Later_

 _Ben_

The day had finally come. Gwen and I were standing at the alter inside of a church in Bellwood. We were getting married! Gwen was wearing a beautiful long sleeved, white dress, along with a white veil on her head, which somehow only showed off her fiery red hair even more than it had before.

Yeah, I was looking not too shabby myself. I had a black tuxedo on, with a black tie and black dress shoes to match. We had just begun to exchange our vows, with the help of the priest. Gwen was up first.

"I, Gwen," the priest said to her.

"I, Gwen," she repeated.

"Take thee, Ben," he said.

"Take thee, Ben," she repeated.

"To be my lawfully wedded husband," he said.

"To be my lawfully wedded husband," she repeated.

"To have and to hold," he said, "From this day forward,"

"To have and to hold," she repeated. "From this day forward,"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health," he said.

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health," she repeated.

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part," the priest said.

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part," she repeated.

"According to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith." The priest finished the vow.

"According to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith." Gwen finished repeating the words.

Now, it was my turn, I repeated all of the words that the priest told me to say and after that came the ring exchange. Gwen put my ring on my finger and I did the same for her.

"You may kiss your bride." He said.

It was surprising to say the least when Gwen beat me to it. I guess that she had been just as excited about this as I was. She just couldn't wait for us to be "officially" married. After several more minutes, which felt like hours in all honesty, we all stepped outside, and Gwen and I walked down to the side of the church, where the car with the "Just Married" sign on the back awaited us.

I had picked Gwen up bridal style to put her into the passenger seat and then I got into the driver's seat. I started the engine and then we drove off, nothing but the future in sight.

 _Author's Note:_

* And that's it for the final chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and overall, I hope you enjoyed the story! Once again, I know this was a short chapter, but I'm honestly not sure where to take the story from here. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know, but the most likely case is that the story ends here.

* Please do let me know if you want a sort of epilogue or bonus chapter. I'd be more than happy to write one, but I won't do it unless I'm asked.

* That's all I have to say. I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 _jasongd (Chapter 18): And another great chapter congrats Happy New Year BWEN Forever_

Thanks, Jason. Happy New Year to you, too. Thanks for the chapter, as always.

 _He23t (Chapter 18): Well at least there was no brawl only a warning that an overprotective father would give. It take that anytime. Happy new year._

Thanks, Happy New Year to you, too. Yes, there was just a warning. A really intense warning, at that. Thanks for the review, as always.

 _Car45 (Chapter 18): Even Frank can see it, they just belong together. As always, looking forward to the next chapter._

Thanks, Car. I wouldn't say that even Frank can see it, as even now he still isn't happy that he's dating (now married) to his daughter. Thanks for the review, as always.


End file.
